In the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Commission and NordForsk of July 2012, NordForsk agreed to carry out actions related to ERA priorities within its remit by the end of 2013, to the extent possible within the framework of national legislation and owner, the Nordic Council of Ministers. This executive summary includes a brief description of NordForsk’s main achievements under the following areas of the MoU: cross-border cooperation, research infrastructures, quality of research, and plans for the future.