John-Arne Røttingen has been officially appointed as the new Director General of the Research Council of Norway.

Dr Røttingen will be coming from his current position as Executive Director of the domain for Infection Control and Environmental Health at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

“The Research Council plays a key role as facilitator for a knowledge-based restructuring of Norway,” says Dr Røttingen. “I am looking forward to, and have enormous respect for, the opportunity I am being given to contribute to these efforts. There is intrinsic value in new knowledge and research entails a long-term perspective. At the same time research is coming to play an increasingly wider role in the development of society. This is a very dynamic and highly competent organisation, and I look forward to working on making the research and innovation system more competitive internationally and even more efficient.

The incoming Research Council Director General has an M.D. as well as a Ph.D. in medicine along with an M.Sc. in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and MPA, and is a professor at both the University of Oslo and Harvard University. He headed the work on the Health&Care21 strategy for research and innovation and has extensive research experience.

“Dr Røttingen is a committed leader with a very important new role ahead,” says the Norwegian Minister of Education and Research, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen. “Research and new knowledge are the key to achieving the restructuring Norway needs to undergo.”

“John-Arne Røttingen has an extremely impressive CV as well as wide-ranging experience in management and from his own research career,” adds Henrik O. Madsen, Chair of the Executive Board of the Research Council, who headed the search for a suitable candidate. “In addition he has a profound interest in research and innovation policy. I feel certain we have found the right person to lead the Research Council.”

Dr Røttingen will take over as Director General of the Research Council on 1 March 2017. He will succeed Arvid Hallén, who has served as Director General since 2004.

Photo: Sindre Mekjan/Forskningsrådet