Research foundation, environmental research, scientific basis for environmental policy, international research cooperation
The Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) is Norway’s leading institute for fundamental and applied research on marine and freshwaters. The institute’s research comprises a wide array of environmental, climatic and resource-related fields. NIVA’s world-class expertise is multidisciplinary with a broad scientific scope. We combine research, monitoring, evaluation, problem-solving and advisory services at international, national and local levels.
NIVAs broad scope of scientific competence, research expertise and long-term environmental data series are important to Norwegian business and industry, public administration on municipal, regional and national levels. NIVA has extensive experience in international research cooperation with international assignments accounting for about 20% of our turnover.
NIVA employees have professional backgrounds in a broad spectrum of disciplines including chemistry, biology, limnology, geology, hydrology, environmental technology, ecotoxicology, oceanography, geography, resource management and environmental economics.
Innovation and business development are a strategic growth sector for NIVA with the revenue from such innovation funding research and contributing to the creation of value in society.
Background and history
NIVA was founded in 1958 and is now a non-profit research foundation with a board appointed by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Research Council of Norway and employees. NIVA's Head Office is at Hasle in Oslo, with regional offices in Bergen, Grimstad, Hamar and Copenhagen, as well as a large scale research facility by the Oslo Fjord.
NIVA has over 300 employees. Two-thirds of which have backgrounds in water sciences and over half work in research.
NIVA has several wholly or partly owned subsidiaries.
CIENS cooperation
NIVA is a member of the Oslo Centre for Interdisciplinary Environmental and Social Research (CIENS), which is a strategic research collaboration among independent research institutes and the University of Oslo.