Research grant
Askur – mannvirkjarannsóknasjóður (Askur Construction Research Fund): 2026 call
Housing and Construction Authority (Húsnæðis- og mannvirkjastofnun, HMS)
- Apply directly
About
Askur, the Icelandic construction research fund established by Act no. 25/2021 and administered by the Housing and Construction Authority (HMS), awards grants for construction research that builds knowledge, improvement and innovation to meet societal challenges in construction, encouraging academia, the research and innovation sector, public bodies and industry to collaborate on projects that lead to practical solutions, better decision-making and greater efficiency through innovation and technology. The 2026 allocation prioritises three research needs in housing and construction: maintenance and renovation that extends the service life of existing buildings; the properties of building products, building components and construction methods under Icelandic conditions; and sustainability, covering lower environmental impact, the circular economy and energy efficiency. Twenty per cent of the funding goes to the highest-ranked eligible projects in each of the three categories, 20% to the highest-ranked projects outside them, and the remainder to the highest-scoring projects regardless of category. Proposals are scored on the project (30%: novelty, structure and goals, project management), implementation (45%: team, timeline, budget, methodology) and impact (25%: contribution to knowledge, dissemination and use of results, and societal benefit including links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals). The application deadline is 26 November 2026.
Topics
Eligibility
Covers: Project grants covering up to 12 months of a project or project phase, capped at 70% of the project cost estimate and 20% of the round's total allocation. Eligible costs: salaries and related charges under collective agreements, purchased services, project-specific equipment (not general office equipment such as computers), overhead of up to 20% on top of eligible salary costs, travel, and information and training material for stakeholders. Not funded: company formation or licensing, production or marketing of a final commercial product, adaptation of products for foreign markets, loan repayments, interest and borrowing costs, and fundraising or grant-writing costs.
Applicants must be legally competent individuals or legal entities applying for a research or development project in construction. The requested grant may not exceed 70% of the project's cost estimate or 20% of the round's total allocation, and an application covers at most 12 months of a project or project phase. Companies in competitive markets are subject to EU de minimis limits (Regulation 2023/2831). Declarations of collaboration from partners must accompany the application, and a doctoral project must already be approved by an Icelandic university, with confirmation from the relevant graduate studies committee. Applications are submitted electronically on the Askur form.
Source: hms.is