Independent Research Fund Denmark aims at securing a high international level in Danish research by supporting the best researchers with the most original research ideas. To achieve this, it is essential to have access to the total pool of talent.
However, the gender balance in Danish research is disproportioned. In 2020, female researchers constituted 35 % of the combined researcher staff in Danish universities. The gender balance within separate occupational categories in Danish universities in 2020 was that 24 % of professors were female, 34 % of associate professors were female and 43 % of lecturers were female. Compared to other EU countries (2018), Denmark is just below average when you look at significant parameters such as percentage of female professors, associate professors and lecturers. This hold true also when comparing Denmark to other Nordic countries.[1]
In Independent Research Fund Denmark, women account for a third of both applicants and grants.[2] When you look the Fund itself, about a third of its members are female.
This indicates that the gender balance in the Fund in many ways reflect the gender balance in the scientific research environments in Denmark. Progress is steady, but slow, which means that there is a continued need for Independent Research Fund Denmark to focus on equal opportunities. Consequently, the Fund will be making initiatives in its funding instruments and assessment procedures as well as in the Fund’s membership composition. In addition, the Fund will focus on cooperation with other stakeholders regarding equal opportunities.
Funding instruments and assessment procedures
Independent Research Fund Denmark cares that its procedures and assessment criteria does not have unintended consequences for neither men nor women.
Independent Research Fund Denmark will take a number of initiatives to ensure attention of, and potentially contribute to improving, the gender balance of applicants and grants.
- In connection with preparation of new initiatives, such as establishment of new methods, new guidelines, etc., the importance of the initiative for the conditions for men and women shall always be examined prior to decision-making.
- In connection with evaluation of existing initiatives, the importance of the initiative in question for the conditions for women and men shall always be included in the evaluation.
- All applications for grants for major research projects shall account for gender distribution in the group of researchers to be established. The gender distribution is not included as an assessment criterion, but the account is meant to create awareness with the project manager about the gender problem and therefore more awareness of the favourable effects of a broader composition in researcher groups.
- In connection with applications for funding instruments with a maximum PhD age, Independent Research Fund Denmark shall compensate for maternity/paternity leave and family-related absence with a factor 2 in relation to the actual absence.
- Independent Research Fund Denmark will study how other international research councils consider maternity/paternity leave when assessing application to find models that promote equal opportunities further.
- Additionally, Independent Research Fund Denmark will map initiatives and experiences on equal opportunities from other research funding institutions – including assessment initiatives, bias training and gender blinding – as well as the effects of these.
- Once yearly, the fund will compile a special statistical recording to follow the progress of these goals:
- That the gender composition among applicants to Independent Research Fund Denmark’s funding instruments approximately reflects the gender composition of the scientific field.
- That women and men have approximately the same success rate when applying for instruments relative to the share each gender make of the total applicant pool.
Membership composition of the Fund
To avoid unintendedly favouring one gender, Independent Research Fund Denmark aims at equal representation as far as possible within the Fund itself to ensure diversity in its performance.
The gender composition of the Fund’s Board and research councils is not balanced. In the next years, the Fund will consequently act to address this imbalance.
Independent Research Fund Denmark will:
- aim for the target that on the Board, the research councils, the panels and the thematic committees, the under-represented gender should account for at least 40 per cent.
- encourage the Funds stakeholders, and not least universities and commercial organisations, to focus on including both women and men when recommending new council members
Cooperation with other stakeholders
Independent Research Fund Denmark is cooperating with relevant players in the world of Danish research to highlight challenges in equal opportunities and to cooperate on finding shared solutions and action points. The Fund finds that all players are needed to create a strong culture in the world of Danish research where a research career at the highest level is a real opportunity for both women and men.
Independent Research Fund Denmark will:
- encourage all relevant research institutions to work systematically with highlighting equal opportunities for both genders when applying for research funds with public research councils and funds. In regards to this, the research council are encouraged to maintain an open dialogue with the deans from all universities about the gender balance in the world of research.
- discuss the terms for women and men and how they experience the Funds funding instruments whenever possible at event and when meeting with grant holders.
- participate in international networks focusing on equal opportunities to share knowledge and discuss best practices.
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[1] Ministry of Higher Education and Science (2023). Analysis (in Danish): Mænd og kvinder på de danske universiteter. Talentbarometeret 2022.
[2] Independent Research Fund Denmark (2023). Annual report 2022.
