The Icelandic Regional Development Agency is advertising applications for grants from the Regional Research Fund. The purpose of the fund is to promote regional research and provide grants for research and development projects that can contribute to positive regional development and improve the knowledge base for policymaking, planning and action in the field of regional affairs.
The application deadline is noon, March 4, 2026 (12:00). The Regional Research Fund has up to 17.5 million ISK to allocate. Grants will be awarded for one year.
Applications must include a clear description of the research, its objectives, benefits, novelty and how the research supports the purpose of the fund. The research must be linked to regional development and, where applicable, how the research fits into the priorities of the Regional Development Plan 2022-2036.
The following factors are considered when evaluating applications:
- How the project supports the purpose of the fund and is related to regional development.
- Scientific and practical value of the project.
- Project novelty.
- Quality of the application (clear objectives, quality research plan and concise text).
Applicants can be individuals, companies, research, development and university institutions or other legal entities. See more:
- Electronic application form (application portal of the Icelandic Regional Development Agency)
- Rules of the Regional Research Fund
- Rules of Procedure of the Board of the Regional Research Fund
- Regional Plan 2022-2036
For further information, please contact Hanna Dóra Björnsdóttir.
hannadora@byggdastofnun.is / phone 455 5454
Further information about the Regional Research Fund can be found on the website of the Icelandic Regional Development Agency . Grants from the Regional Research Fund have been awarded since 2015. A total of 48 projects have received grants in the years 2015-2025 for a total amount of 123.8 million ISK. In 2025, the following five projects received grants:
- Coastal fishing and local quotas: Will increased coastal fishing activities and local quotas be reflected in increased employment income or local government revenue for the relevant municipalities? The grant recipient is the Research Center for Regional and Local Government at Bifröst University, Vífill Karlsson.
- A double-edged sword, the leakage of non-local jobs to the capital area. The grantee is the University of Akureyri Research Center, Hjalti Jóhannesson.
- Planning for sustainable agricultural production in Iceland. Grant recipient: Salvör Jónsdóttir, University of Iceland.
- Collaboration and coordination between destination agencies and municipalities on sustainable tourism development. Grant recipients: Anna Karlsdóttir and Íris Hrund Halldórsdóttir, both at the University of Iceland.
- Foreign investments in land in Iceland. A view of the impact on the development of settlements and the cohesion of the population. Grant recipients: Anna Karlsdóttir and Magnfríður Júlíusdóttir, both at the University of Iceland.
The Regional Research Fund aims to provide grants for research and development projects that can contribute to positive regional development and improve the knowledge base that can be used in policymaking, planning and actions in the field of regional affairs.