Ruralis – Institute for Rural and Regional Research is an independent research institute with headquarters in Trondheim (on NTNU's campus Dragvoll) and a satellite office in Oslo. The institute has 35 employees.
Ruralis works with quantitative and qualitative social science research across three primary topic areas:
1. Business development and bioeconomy
2. Climate and resource management
3. Local and regional development
Ruralis has a national responsibility for developing and maintaining a theoretical and methodological research competence in rural sociology.
Ruralis has a highly competent and multidisciplinary staff. The staff includes about 28 researchers with backgrounds in sociology, geography, history, business economics, social anthropology, political science, agronomy and fisheries.
Ruralis aims to maintain and develop extensive co-operation with other national and international research establishments. We have close co-operation with various departments at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Ruralis has an agreement with the Faculty of Social Science and Technology Management regarding education at the doctorate level.