Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) has implemented an openness policy aimed at fostering a culture of transparency and dialogue with the fund’s stake-holders and the broader public. Below, we outline how we aim to engage with the outside world and help lay the foundation for further constructive dialogue with our stakeholders.
DFF plays a key role in Denmark’s research funding landscape as one of the most important sources of funding for ideas initiated by researchers themselves. As a public fund and part of the public administration, DFF has a particular obli-gation to be transparent and open about its activities and internal decision-making processes.
To ensure transparency in its work , DFF makes its knowledge and infor-mation available to the public.
DFF strives to be open and transparent. Transparency and openness about the fund’s processes and tools allow the research community at large, including the fund’s applicants, to gain insight into how applications to the fund are evaluated. This helps build trust and credibility in the application review process at DFF and the fund’s other activities.
Openness can, in some cases, create misunderstandings and uncertainty. In such situations, the alternative is to ensure that others can understand, interpret, and manage the information so that misunderstandings and uncertainty are avoided.
DFF limits the cases where the fund must remain closed to what is strictly necessary - primarily sensitive personal information, such as researchers’ original ide-as and their evaluation. At the same time, DFF is open about why this is necessary.
DFF places emphasis on maintaining an ongoing and constructive dialogue with the research sector and other stakeholders. Through this dialogue, DFF aims to better understand the current needs and challenges within the research communi-ty, as well as to receive valuable input for the development of the fund’s strate-gies and priorities.
As a co-signatory of the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment, DFF has a special obligation to contribute to research on research itself and thereby contribute to the overall evidence base for good practices in research assess-ment. Accordingly, DFF is willing to provide data for research projects on re-search assessment.
As a public authority, DFF is also obligated to fulfill the active duty to inform as stipulated in Section 17 of the Danish Public Administration Act (Offen-tlighedsloven), including publishing guidelines for the exercise of this duty. As part of this, DFF will ensure that information is continuously made available on the fund’s website.
This openness policy was published in May 2025.
