Would you like to contribute to a research project and earn credits for it?
Are you a student at bachelor’s or master’s level? In 2025, NMBU has a pilot project with Students in Research (SIF) as a special syllabus. Apply to participate and gain valuable experience and new perspectives.
With the SIF special syllabus, you get practical research experience before reaching the stage of a degree thesis, while also earning credits. It also gives you the opportunity to make connections and build a network. The SIF special syllabus can be included in most bachelor's and master's degrees at NMBU. Read this page before looking for a project and perhaps be fortunate enough to enter into a SIF special syllabus agreement.
Credits: 5 or 10. The number of credits cannot be changed during the course.
Expected workload: 125 hours (5 credits) or 250 hours (10 credits)
Teaching and examination period: The teaching is flexible, and the pilot project in 2025 will run from the spring parallel to the end of the autumn parallel. The exact teaching and examination period will be adapted to each research project and agreed upon between the student and the researcher/teacher.
Criteria for participation: The SIF special syllabus is open to all bachelor's or master's level students at NMBU, but the number of places depends on the available research projects during the application period. Motivation and interest in research will be key criteria. Specific requirements or prerequisites may vary between projects based on the project's subject area and tasks.
What is the SIF special syllabus ?
A special syllabus is a theoretical and/or practical task that is not specified as a separate course or as part of a course in the online version of the course descriptions.
The SIF special syllabus follows the guidelines and agreement on special syllabus provided by NMBU. The responsible supervisor is responsible for ensuring that you have a satisfactory academic background, please see more about this under "supervision" below. You can conduct the SIF special syllabus alone or with one or more other students. You can also take the SIF special syllabus in other academic environments and faculties at NMBU than the one you belong to.
The SIF special syllabus allows you to participate in research projects across faculties and disciplines at NMBU. Some examples of practical research work you might be assigned are data collection and analysis, academic writing, and presentation of results. In 2025, this will be a pilot project tested as a special syllabus, with the goal of developing it into a separate course.
You will work closely with a researcher/teacher or research group and contribute to projects relevant to your academic interests. This gives you insight into research processes and strengthens the transition between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
If you would like to read more about the special syllabus, you can also read about it in NMBU's Academic Regulations.
How to apply?
Application process
Available research projects will be published via this platform:
Please note that no information will show in the app until a researcher/teacher has registered a project, and that much of the information in the app will be in Norwegian.
In the app, you will find information about the project's academic profile, who your main supervisor will be, and a bit about the tasks you may be assigned in this project if you are included in it
When you have found a relevant project on the platform, you must check the timeline below on this page to find out when you need to apply to participate in the SIF special syllabus. On the platform, you will find an overview of when you can start working on each individual research project at the earliest.
If the project and the timeline match your own wishes, write an application and send it directly to the researcher/teacher via email.
After you have submitted the application, the researcher/teacher will provide feedback via email. You will receive a response regarding whether the researcher/teacher wishes to enter into a SIF special syllabus agreement with you or not. You can expect a response at least one week before the deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement to the faculty, please see the timeline below. The exact deadline is decided according to the teaching period in which the SIF special syllabus is to start.
The application should include
Motivation letter (maximum one page)
- Describe your academic background and areas of interest.
- With which skills can you contribute, and, if relevant, which experiences do you have that will be useful in this project?
- What motivates you to participate, and what do you hope to achieve through this project?
Attachments
- Transcript of records. It is recommended to include a link to the transcript from the Diploma registry.
Timeline
Start and finish in June block
- Announcements published: no later than 28 February.
- Your application deadline: 14 March.
- Researcher/teacher assesses applications, possibly interviews, and nominates.
- You receive a response to your application: by 25 March.
- You and the researcher/teacher develop a special syllabus agreement.
- Your and the researcher/teacher’s deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement: 1 April.
- Study adviser registers the agreement and registers you for the examination in FS (a student information system).
- You work on your SIF special syllabus.
- Your deadline to complete all work and everything to be included in the assessment: 27 June.
- Examiner's deadline for submitting grades: 18 July.
Start in June block and finish in August block
- Announcements published: no later than 28 February.
- Your application deadline: 14 March.
- Researcher/teacher assesses applications, possibly interviews, and nominates.
- You receive a response to your application: by 25 March.
- You and the researcher/teacher develop a special syllabus agreement.
- Your and the researcher/teacher’s deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement: 1 April.
- Study adviser registers the agreement and registers you for the examination in FS (a student information system).
- You work on your SIF special syllabus.
- Your deadline to complete all work and everything to be included in the assessment: 29 August.
- Examiner's deadline for submitting grades: 19 September.
Start in June block and finish in autumn parallel
- Announcements published: no later than 28 February.
- Your application deadline: 14 March.
- Researcher/teacher assesses applications, possibly interviews, and nominates.
- You receive a response to your application: by 25 March.
- You and the researcher/teacher develop a special syllabus agreement.
- Your and the researcher/teacher’s deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement: 1 April.
- Study adviser registers the agreement and registers you for the examination in FS (a student information system).
- You work on your SIF special syllabus.
- Your deadline to complete all work and everything to be included in the assessment: 5 December.
- Examiner's deadline for submitting grades: 2 January.
Start and finish in August block
- Announcements published: no later than 16 May.
- Your application deadline: 30 May.
- Researcher/teacher assesses applications, possibly interviews, and nominates.
- You receive a response to your application: by 20 June.
- You and the researcher/teacher develop a special syllabus agreement.
- Your and the researcher/teacher’s deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement: 13 August.
- Study adviser registers the agreement and registers you for the examination in FS (a student information system).
- You work on your SIF special syllabus.
- Your deadline to complete all work and everything to be included in the assessment: 29 August.
- Examiner's deadline for submitting grades: 19 September.
Start in August block and finish in autumn parallel
- Announcements published: no later than 16 May.
- Your application deadline: 30 May.
- Researcher/teacher assesses applications, possibly interviews, and nominates.
- You receive a response to your application: by 20 June.
- You and the researcher/teacher develop a special syllabus agreement.
- Your and the researcher/teacher’s deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement: 13 August.
- Study adviser registers the agreement and registers you for the examination in FS (a student information system).
- You work on your SIF special syllabus.
- Your deadline to complete all work and everything to be included in the assessment: 5 December.
- Examiner's deadline for submitting grades: 2 January.
Start and finish in autumn parallel
- Announcements published: no later than 23 June.
- Your application deadline: 18 August.
- Researcher/teacher assesses applications, possibly interviews, and nominates.
- You receive a response to your application: by 8 September.
- You and the researcher/teacher develop a special syllabus agreement.
- Your and the researcher/teacher’s deadline for submitting the special syllabus agreement: 15 September.
- Study advisor registers the agreement and registers you for the examination in FS (a student information system).
- You work on your SIF special syllabus.
- Your deadline to complete all work and everything to be included in the assessment: 5 December.
- Examiner's deadline for submitting grades: 2 January.
Supervision and the main supervisor's responsibilities
In a SIF special syllabus, you will work with one or more researchers/teachers, and one of them will have the main responsibility for following up on your work throughout the project period and for providing you with necessary support and feedback.
You need a main supervisor and a co-supervisor
The main responsible person, i.e., the main supervisor for a SIF special syllabus must hold a permanent academic position at NMBU, for example as associate professor or professor. You must have both a main supervisor and a co-supervisor, and it is not possible to enter into a special syllabus agreement without two supervisors. This ensures that the special syllabus can be completed even if unforeseen events occur.
A postdoctoral fellow or a PhD candidate can be your co-supervisor for the SIF special syllabus but can never be your main supervisor.
It is the responsibility of the researchers/teachers to ensure that the staff included in a special syllabus agreement meet the requirements set by NMBU to be a main supervisor or co-supervisor.
Main supervisor's responsibilities
(The list is not exhaustive.)
- Assess and decide which research tasks and activities should be included in the SIF special syllabus.
- Offer academically interesting, developing, and feasible research tasks.
- Provide you with an overview of their own research area and inform you about how your special syllabus will fit into this.
- Explain the methods used and provide training in the practical tasks and activities you will participate in with others or carry out on your own.
- Provide academic guidance on the research tasks and the special syllabus. This includes planning the use of time and giving feedback on your work.
- Inform you about relevant health, safety, and environment (HSE) regulations for labs/workshops/field work. You also have a personal responsibility to familiarise yourself with the rules and procedures for the activities in which you will participate.
- Consider and guide you in research ethical issues.
Important before entering into an agreement
Adapted learning activities and tasks
The learning activities and tasks in the SIF special syllabus will vary depending on the research project in which you participate and the discipline of the project. This could involve collecting various types of data, participating in different types of field or laboratory work, performing various kinds of analyses, developing models, conducting literature searches and studies, compiling literature and results, and writing reports.
In addition to the variation describe above, the tasks will also be adapted to your level of education (bachelor’s or master’s) and academic background.
Adjustment of workload
It is the faculty's responsibility to ensure that the workload is adjusted according to the number of credits in the agreement. If several students are working on a task together, the scope of the task should be increased accordingly.
The expected workload is 125 hours for 5 credits and 250 hours for 10 credits. All work you do that contributes to achieving the learning objectives and outcomes should be included when summing up the workload.
Number of special syllabi and credits in the degree
Once you have entered into a special syllabus agreement, the number of credits cannot be changed during the period of contract (i.e. the "course period").
If you earlier have completed a special syllabus or are considering including multiple special syllabi in your degree, you should be aware that:
Regardless of whether you are taking a bachelor’s or master’s degree, the SIF special syllabus will count as one of two possible special syllabi in your degree.
In a bachelor’s degree, you can have a maximum of 10 credits of special syllabus, in a two-year master’s degree up to 20 credits, and in a five-year master’s degree up to 30 credits.
Literature
It is expected that everyone conducting a SIF special syllabus familiarises themselves with NMBU’s «Guidelines Research Data Management» and «Ethical Guidelines» (in Norwegian). (To translate the document "Ethical Guidelines" from Norwegian into English, simply right-click on your touchpad and select the option to translate the page.)
The main/co-supervisor will recommend a curriculum and specific literature you should study, tailored to the research project in which you are involved.
Assessment
You and your main supervisor must agree on the assessment form of the SIF special syllabus. You can choose between:
- Assignment: This is a written task that you work on throughout the semester until a pre-agreed submission deadline. An assignment can also include, among others, a blog, project work, report or reflective note.
- Portfolio: The portfolio can consist of two or more works, such as: participation in excursions and reports (if relevant), laboratory exercises, paper, project/semester assignments, oral tests or presentations that can be verified, specimen collections, practical training and reports (if relevant), practical tests and written assessment during the teaching period.
- Written examination.
- Oral Examination: This must be verifiable.
Completion and deadline for submitting grades
Completion
The special syllabus must be completed by the last day of teaching during the teaching period. This means that the work, learning activities, and everything to be included in the assessment of the special syllabus must be completed.
Examiner's deadline for submitting grades
This deadline is three weeks after the last day of teaching in the parallel/block period.
Learning objectives (to be included in the SIF special syllabus agreement)
Learning objectives describe the intention for learning. The learning objectives for the SIF special syllabus are:
- Students gain practical experience with research as a work method and process.
- During the special syllabus, students should gain experience with two or more steps in the research process, including relevant methods and tools.
- Students acquire relevant academic knowledge and skills.
- By participating in research, students develop an understanding of the nature of research and its contribution to society.
Learning outcome descriptors (to be included in the agreement)
Learning outcomes mean the knowledge, skills and general competences, you as a student are expected to have acquired when the special syllabus is completed.
The overall learning outcomes for the SIF special syllabus should be tailored to whether you plan to complete a special syllabus at the bachelor’s or master’s level and whether you aim for 5 or 10 credits. In the pilot project, a set of learning outcome descriptors has been developed for each of the four SIF special syllabus variants.
When you are filling in a special syllabus agreement, you choose, together with your main and/or co-supervisor, the set of learning outcomes that apply to you/your special syllabus and copy the chosen set into the agreement. If you wish to supplement with other learning outcomes, you can do that as well.
Learning outcome descriptors for SIF special syllabus, bachelor's level, 5 ECTS
Knowledge
The student:
- has an understanding of research as a process and working method
- can explain the principles behind and the purpose of the research activities included in the special syllabus
- is familiar with NMBU's "Ethical Guidelines" and "Guidelines Research Data Management"
Skills
The student:
- has practical skills in some of the research methods of the discipline
- can, under supervision, find, summarise, and use literature and other professional knowledge relevant to the special syllabus
- can, under supervision, interpret and evaluate their own results
General competence
The student:
- has a basic understanding of the nature of research and its contribution to society
- can, under supervision, present their own work and results in writing
Learning outcome descriptors for SIF special syllabus, bachelor's level, 10 ECTS
Knowledge
The student:
- has an understanding of research as a process and working method
- can explain the principles behind and the purpose of the research activities included in the special syllabus
- can place their own project work in a professional context
- is familiar with NMBU's "Ethical Guidelines" and "Guidelines Research Data Management"
Skills
The student:
- has practical skills in some of the research methods of the discipline
- can, under supervision, find, summarise, and use literature and other professional knowledge relevant to the special syllabus
- can, under supervision, interpret and evaluate their own results
- can evaluate their own results against updated professional knowledge within the discipline
General competence
The student:
- has a basic understanding of the nature of research and its contribution to society
- can, under supervision, present their own work and results in writing and orally
Learning outcome descriptors for SIF special syllabus, master's level, 5 ECTS
Knowledge
The student:
- has insight into and can account for different parts of a research process
- can explain the principles behind and the purpose of the research activities included in the special syllabus
- can place their own project work in a professional context
- can explain the main principles of NMBU's "Ethical Guidelines" and "Guidelines Research Data Management"
Skills
The student:
- has practical skills in some of the research methods of the discipline and is familiar with relevant academic tools, techniques, and forms of expression
- can work independently to find, summarise, and use literature and other professional knowledge relevant to the special syllabus
- can work independently to interpret and evaluate their own results
- can evaluate their own results against updated professional knowledge within the discipline
General competence
The student:
- has a good understanding of the nature of research and its contribution to society
- can independently present their own work and results in writing and orally
- has experience using feedback to refine their own work
Learning outcome descriptors for SIF special syllabus, master's level, 10 ECTS
Knowledge
The student:
- has insight into and can account for different parts of a research process
- can explain the principles behind and the purpose of the research activities included in the special syllabus
- can place their own project work in a professional context
- can evaluate their own project work against NMBU's "Ethical Guidelines" and "Guidelines Research Data Management"
Skills
The student:
- has practical skills in some of the research methods of the discipline and is familiar with relevant academic tools, techniques, and forms of expression
- can work independently to find, summarise, and use literature and other professional knowledge relevant to the project
- can work independently to interpret and evaluate their own results
- can evaluate their own results against updated professional knowledge within the discipline
General competence
The student:
- has a good understanding of the nature of research, its contribution to society, and can account for the connections between research and knowledge development
- can independently present their own work and results in writing and orally
- has experience using feedback to refine their own work
When you are entering into an agreement
If the researcher/teacher wish to enter into a SIF special syllabus agreement with you, you both must prepare an agreement on the special syllabus in accordance with NMBU's guidelines for this. The agreement must be formulated before the work on the SIF special syllabus begins, and it should be between you and the supervisor at the faculty where the syllabus is held. You and the main supervisor must submit the agreement within the deadline stated in the schedule above. The exact deadline is decided according to the teaching period in which you are to start working on the special syllabus. The agreement is approved by the faculty.
You and your supervisor must work together to fill in the electronic agreement on the special syllabus:
The agreement should contain a range of information, which is listed below.
Declaration: When entering a SIF special syllabus agreement as part of the 2025 pilot, you must accept that you transfer your rights to work results and other rights that you create or develop in connection with the research project to NMBU. You must sign a declaration regarding this. However, you retain the right to publication, authorship, and co-authorship, and NMBU cannot take over your ownership rights to traditional non-fiction works.
The agreement on the special syllabus should include
Supervisors: Main supervisor and co-supervisor
Title of the SIF special syllabus: The title should be created according to your level and the number of credits you will take:
"SIF-spesialpensum B5 prosjekttittel"/"SIF Special Syllabus B5 Project Title"
"SIF-spesialpensum B10 prosjekttittel"/"SIF Special Syllabus B10 Project Title"
"SIF-spesialpensum M5 prosjekttittel"/"SIF Special Syllabus M5 Project Title"
"SIF-spesialpensum M10 prosjekttittel"/"SIF Special Syllabus M10 Project Title"Other information:
Learning goals (please see above)
Learning outcomes (please see above)
Number of credits
Grading rule: Choose "Other specialized syllabuses A-F Pass/Fail", and either "A-F" or "Pass/Fail".
Form of assessment (please see above)
Completion of the special syllabus (year and block/parallel)
Submission deadline (no later than the last day of teaching during the teaching period, please see the deadline for completing all work and everything that should be included in the assessment in the schedule above)
Attachments: Create a Word document with an overview of tasks and learning activities, a progress plan for the special syllabus, a literature/reference list, and other topics that your main supervisor deems important to include.
Email confirming that the main supervisor wishes that you to take the special syllabus
Send a copy of the agreement
During the 2025 pilot project, the SIF working group will use the SIF special syllabus agreements as a source when evaluating the pilot. The SIF working group will contact the student/supervisor about obtaining the agreement.
When concluding the pilot project, all participating students and academic staff will be invited to evaluate the pilot project.
Your responsibility for the SIF special syllabus
It is not just the supervisors who are responsible for ensuring that the SIF special syllabus is carried out so that you achieve the described learning outcomes. You have an independent responsibility to follow up on the special syllabus agreement. This responsibility includes, among other things:
- Participating in the drafting of the agreement and submitting it for approval.
- Participating in the research project in the manner prescribed by the main supervisor of the SIF special syllabus within the framework of the SIF special syllabus agreement.
- Carrying out agreed tasks/learning activities.
- Keeping a simple time log for all spent time and all tasks/activities, so that both you and the supervisor(s) can monitor the workload.
- Addressing/raising issues or obstacles that may arise along the way.
- Receiving training/guidance and providing feedback to you supervisor(s) if you are unsure of what is expected of you or what you should do.
- Familiarising yourself with and adhering to NMBU's "Ethical Guidelines" and "Guidelines Research Data Management".
- Independent responsibility for familiarising yourself with rules and routines for activities in which you will participate.
You should not receive confidential information
One of the conditions applying to you as a student participating in research at NMBU through the SIF special syllabus, is that you should never receive confidential information about the project or within the project.
Another important prerequisite is that you as a student can only participate in research projects defined as "collaborative projects" and never in "commissioned projects". In case these project terms arise, here is a very brief explanation:
- "Collaborative Projects"
Projects that NMBU has obtained financial support for from national and international funding sources, without the funding sources requiring counter-performance from NMBU. - "Commissioned Projects"
Projects that NMBU performs for payment from external clients, where the funding sources (clients) require counter-performance and also own the results created in the projects.
Your main supervisor is responsible for ensuring that you do not gain access to confidential information and for ensuring that you enter into a special syllabus agreement to participate in a "collaborative project" and not a "commissioned project".
- "Collaborative Projects"
Insurance and HSE
Insurance schemes for students
Since the activities included in a SIF special syllabus will be of various nature, can take place in various locations, and outside regular teaching periods/times, all students are advised to familiarise themselves with insurance schemes for students and to purchase private insurance.
Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE)
Both you as a student and your supervisors are obligated to follow NMBU's HSE regulations, please see guidelines. If the research work/learning activities included in the SIF special syllabus are conducted as part of field work, take place in laboratories or workshops, and/or involve "practical work", special guidelines apply.
Students who perform practical work as part of the teaching are covered by the protective provisions of the Working Environment Act (chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, and 19, except section 19-2). Students are then considered as employees.
If the SIF special syllabus includes work in laboratories and workshops
If your special syllabus involves laboratory or workshop activities, you are required to follow NMBU's guidelines and procedures for such work. Before starting, you should be offered and participate in basic training in health, safety, and environment. If you are to perform work that involves the use of NMBU's facilities, instruments, and equipment, you must follow the established procedures.
Please see more information on laboratory safety and work in workshops.
If the SIF special syllabus includes field work (domestic or abroad)
You and your supervisors are obliged to follow the “Guidelines for health, safety, and the environment relating to field work, field courses, and excursions” if the SIF special syllabus involves field work (domestic or abroad).
All students conducting field work (domestic and abroad) are responsible for securing insurance coverage which can be used in the case of accidents in the period of field work, and for ensuring vaccination and visas (if necessary). Please see more information on insurance and vaccinations for field work in the guidelines.
Questions and feedback
Do you have any questions related to the pilot project Students in Research before or during the SIF special syllabus?
The working group encourages you as a student to contact the project manager Ingeli Engebretsen Mortensen (Student Board) during your SIF special syllabus if anything arises, or if you have general feedback on the project since this is a pilot project.
The project manager will request clarification from the appropriate authority at NMBU.
Contact: ingeli.engebretsen.mortensen@nmbu.no