The Research Council of Norway (RCN) appointed a panel of Nordic social scientists in 2016 to evaluate the institutes that make up the social science ‘competition arena’ within the Norwegian institute system. The main evaluation issues posed were •The relevance of the institutes to public administration, business and society •The quality and capabilities of the institutes •The institutes’ ability to recruit and their contribution to research training •The institutes’ structure and role in the R&D system •The institutes’ international cooperation •The framework conditions under which the institutes operate