The Gemini collaboration

The Gemini Centre

The Gemini Centre is a venue that will foster larger, more resilient research communities with higher quality that will be better equipped to seize and develop new opportunities. Through this, the partners will increase their competitiveness and value creation for society as a whole.

See list of centres in operation here.

Internationally, both clients and students call for outstanding research communities. It is the best communities that succeed in increasingly fierce international competition. This is why the Gemini Centre works in line with the vision of «global excellence together».

The Gemini model requires planned and actively maintained collaboration between otherwise independent entities. The pillars of the model are a willingness to collaborate and a mutual understanding and respect for each other’s roles and unique characteristics. The collaboration will be characterised by equality, inclusive behaviour and fair allocation of resources. 

The concept was launched by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and SINTEF in 2003. The University of Oslo joined the scheme in 2004, St. Olav’s Hospital in 2007 and NTNU Social Research in 2019. Today’s revised collaboration concept was adopted by NTNU and SINTEF management and entered into force from 2018.

The Gemini Centre may adopt several purposes: 

• The partners coming together to develop new fields.
• The partners seeking to address major, interdisciplinary societal challenges. 
• The partners using the concept as a platform for developing applications to the Centres for Research-based Innovation/Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research/EU.
• The partners using the concept to coordinate joint activities and laboratories.

Joint interaction with businesses and the public sector in the form of networking and external seminars can be an additional motive for all Gemini centres.

Policy document for Gemini centres. 

How to apply

Becoming a Gemini Centre is far from complicated, as long as the partners are motivated and agree on the purpose. Naturally, the application needs to clearly state why you are seeking to establish the centre and what the partnership will do to achieve its goals.

The establishment of the centre must also be strategically endorsed by line management. Formally speaking, line managers must sign the application and will have a special responsibility for ensuring that the centre is strategically endorsed. The application must also be approved at Dean/Director level.

The application must be addressed to the relevant institutional management, i.e. NTNU, UiO, SINTEF, St. Olav’s and/or NTNU Social Research. There are two application rounds each year. Appointments are made during SINTEF’s Council Dinner in April and November.

Application deadlines:

Spring: 15 March.
Autumn: 15 October.

A Gemini Centre will be appointed for a period of four years. At the end of the four-year period, an application may be submitted for re-appointment for an additional period of four years. Re-appointment will be subject to the partners demonstrating positive results from the initial period and establishing new goals for the collaboration for the next period.

Download application template.

Finances

A Gemini Centre will be awarded NOK 100,000 each year to cover direct costs. This funding is allocated by parent institutions and will be managed by the centre management. The centre must report on its use of funding in annual reports.

The centre management can also use strategic resources to fulfil the role of the centre. This applies both in terms of time and other resources. This must be agreed with line management.

Detailed information about finances and procedures can be found in the policy document.

Annual report

All Gemini centres are required to prepare annual reports. Annual reports will primarily describe progress in relation to the centre’s goals and milestones, as well as a revised strategic plan. The report must be submitted to the Gemini Centre Coordinator, as well as line management, before 15 February. The annual report must be submitted by the Board of the Gemini Centre.

Download template for Annual Report

Board and Coordinators

The Gemini scheme is managed by a Board comprising representatives from NTNU, SINTEF and the University of Oslo. The Board has the overall responsibility for managing and further developing the Gemini collaboration. 

The Coordinator has the day-to-day responsibility for monitoring centres and will meet with centre management each year to discuss results and progress. Such meetings will take place during the spring semester and will be based around the annual report for the centre.

The Gemini Centre Coordinators are (Senior Project Manager at SINTEF) and (Director of Research at SINTEF).