Law and regulations
Regulation (in Icelandic)
Act on the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies 2006 no. 40 12 June
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Came into effect on 1 September 2006. Amended with l. 61/2011 (came into effect on 15 June 2011) and l. 126/2011 (came into effect on 30 Sept. 2011).
Article 1 The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is a university-level institute, which operates on an independent budget and reports to [Minister].1) The institute fosters close links with the University of Iceland, as defined in the details of this Act, and forms part of its academic community.
1)L. 126/2011, 419. gr.
Article 2 The Government of Iceland is the custodian of the manuscripts and documents, which were handed over under the terms of an agreement between Iceland and Denmark regarding the transferral of part of the manuscripts of the Árni Magnússon Institute in the care and supervision of the University of Iceland, which was reached on 1 July 1965 and ratified on 1 April 1971. These documents form the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland and the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is entrusted with the task of preserving and supervising them.
Article 3 The function of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies is to conduct research in the field of Icelandic studies and related areas of learning, particularly in the field of the Icelandic language and literature, and to disseminate knowledge in these fields and preserve and bolster the collections, which it has been entrusted with or owns. The institute primarily fulfils its role by:
a) Producing original material in its area of study and preserving it, collecting folkloristic material and sources on Icelandic words and names, and making this material accessible to scholars and the public;
b) Researching manuscripts, folk collections and other sources regarding the Icelandic language, literature and history, and conducting research into lexicology and onomastics and projects in the field of language technology;
c) Promoting greater knowledge of the Icelandic language, strengthening it, preserving it in its spoken and written form and providing advice and guidelines on language usage on an academic basis, including on, among other things, terminology and neologisms;
d) promoting cooperation in the institute's areas of study at a domestic and international level and increasing knowledge of Icelandic studies among the public, as well as the international academic community, and participating in collaborations for the teaching of Icelandic and Icelandic studies abroad;
e) publishing scholarly works, texts from manuscripts, folkloristic material and dictionaries as well as books of names.
Article 4 [The Minister]1) appoints a Board for the institute for a period of four years each time. Three of the board’s members are nominated by the University Council of the University of Iceland, while two are appointed directly by the Ministry, one of whom acts as chairperson.
The function of the Board is to advise the director and provide opinions on work plans and the organisation of the institute.
The individuals who are appointed to conduct research work at the institute form the Board of Studies (húsþing), which the director convenes and which works according to the detailed provisions of the regulations.
[The Minister]1) lays down the organization of the institute in the regulations on the basis of proposals received from its director and the opinions of the Board, as well as the Board of Studies.
Article 5 [The Minister]1) appoints the Director of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies for a period of five years at a time, on the basis of a recommendation from the Board of the institute. The director shall be an eligible professor in the institute’s areas of study in the estimation of a three-member jury appointed by [the Minister]1). One of the jury members shall be nominated from the Board of the institute and he/she shall also act as chairperson; another member shall be nominated by the Board of Studies and the third member shall be appointed without a nomination.
The eligibility of the members of the jury shall be determined by the same rules that apply to the appointment of specialists and teaching staff at the University of Iceland.
The director supervises the work and management of the institute. He/she appoints the staff of the institute and represents it. The director is responsible for the management of the institute and its activities, in accordance with the law and governmental instructions.
Article 6 The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies enters into collaboration agreements with the University of Iceland regarding professional ties, economic relations, and the organization of joint tasks. The institute collaborates with other university-level institutes, pursuant to special agreements.
The staff members of the institute, who are recruited for research work, also guide students at master’s or doctoral level and teach courses in their areas of expertise, upon agreement with the appropriate departments of the University of Iceland.
Article 7 The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies shall offer two special research posts. One shall be specifically linked to the name of Árni Magnússon and the other to the name of Sigurður Nordal. The director can appoint candidates to these posts for limited periods of time upon recommendations from the Board of Studies, without being under any obligation to advertise the vacancies.
Article 8 The appointment of candidates for research work at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies shall be subject to the same regulations as those governing the appointment of teachers and specialists to the University of Iceland. A three-member committee, appointed by the director, shall evaluate the suitability of applicants. One of the committee members shall be appointed upon a nomination from the Board of the Institute and he/she shall also act as chairperson; another member shall be nominated by the Board of Studies and the third member shall be appointed by [the Minister]1). The Director shall seek the opinion of the Board of Studies when appointing candidates for research work.
The job titles of those who are appointed to research posts shall be Research Lecturer, Senior Research Lecturer and Research Professor.
The institute sets its code of conduct, regarding, among other things, the academic independence of its staff.
1)L. 126/2011, 419. gr.
Article 9… 1)
1)L. 61/2011, 14. gr.
Article 10 The costs of running the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies are covered by the national Treasury, as determined by the budget.
The institute is authorised to charge fees for the copying of material from its magnetic tape collection, for the taking of and publication of photographs of manuscripts, for any kind of requested copies of data in the institute’s care, for providing research assistance, for the provision of specialised services in the reading and production of material and for access to exhibitions hosted by the Institute. The Institute sets the price list for the aforementioned services.
The [Minister] 1) is authorised under the regulations to set further provisions regarding the implementation of this Act.
1)L. 126/2011, 419. gr. 2)Rg. 861/2008.
Article 11 This Act shall enter into force on 1 September 2006.
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Temporary provisions Upon the entry into force of this Act, the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies shall take over the assets and liabilities of the Icelandic Language Institute, the Institute of Lexicography, University of Iceland, the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, the Sigurður Nordal Institute and the Icelandic Place-name Institute. This means that the employees of the above institutes become employees of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph 1, the posts of directors of the institutes, which merge with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, shall be abolished. They shall nevertheless assist the director who is appointed, pursuant to paragraph 4, and continue to work for the institute in this capacity until 31 October 2006. The abolition of the posts of directors of the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland and University Dictionary shall have no effect on their appointments as professors of the faculty of Humanities at the University of Iceland. All of the departing directors shall be offered research posts at the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies, as of 1 November 2006, and when appointed to these posts they shall retain all of the rights they acquired in their previous posts.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Par.1 or Article 5 of this Act, the faculty of Humanities of the University of Iceland shall, instead of the Board of Studies, nominate one member to the committee that evaluates the suitability of the director of the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies for his/her appointment to office pursuant to Par.4.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 11, the Board shall, pursuant to Article 4, be appointed no later than 1 July 2006 to provide an opinion on the appointment of a director pursuant to Art. 5. The jury, pursuant to Art.5, shall also be appointed no later than 1 July 2006, to assess the suitability of candidates for the post of director; A director shall be appointed pursuant to Art.5 no later than 1 September 2006.
With the coming into effect of this Act, the undrawn funds from the 2006 budgets of the Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland, Icelandic Language Institute, University Dictionary (Institute of Lexicography, University of Iceland), Sigurður Nordal Institute and the Icelandic Place-name Institute shall be transferred to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.