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Apply now: DKK 740 million for new and well-known themes

If you have an idea for ground-breaking research, you can now apply for funding within ten politically determined themes with application deadlines on 27 May and 3 June 2025. The ten new and well-known themes span many different research areas and will be granted under the fund’s new funding instrument “DFF-Thematic”, which, among other things, focus specifically on collaboration, ensures longer duration for the research project and increases the maximum budget framework. In total, the fund will distribute approx. DKK 740 million for thematic research that can generate knowledge or contribute to new solutions for significant societal challenges.

Read the call for thematic funds 2025 (pdf)  

The funds have been allocated as part of the political agreements of 1 November 2024 on the distribution of the research reserve in 2025.

Themes and application deadlines

The following themes have application deadline on Tuesday 27 May 2025 at 12:00 (noon):

  • Green research
  • Strengthened clinical and independent research

The following themes have application deadline on Tuesday 3 June 2025 at 12:00 (noon):

  • Postdoctoral exchange programme in quantum research
  • Research in psychiatry
  • Research on antisemitism
  • Research on artificial intelligence
  • Research on elderly and ageing
  • Research on learning and well-being in primary schools
  • Research on vulnerability and poor well-being
  • Strengthened research in specialized social services

All applications submitted for the themes must be uploaded in the application system www.e-grant.dk before the expiration of the deadline. The fund recommends that applicants begin working on their application in e-grant well in advance of the deadline. The application forms in e-grant are expected to be available during week 13.

Besides the abovementioned themes, DFF must distribute funding for the politically determined theme “Arctic research – Climate change and sustainable arctic communities”. DFF expects to publish an individual call for proposals for this theme in April. The application deadline for this theme is expected to be in the beginning of September 2025.

DFF-Thematic – New funding instrument focusing on collaboration, duration and increased budget

Independent Research Fund Denmark introduces a new funding instrument, DFF-Thematic) when announcing the thematic call for proposals 2025. The funding instrument set out the general requirements applicable to the announced, politically determined thematic funds, and is brought into the world to better address the specific research needs typical of thematic areas, including practice-oriented research. DFF-Thematic has an increased budget framework and entails the possibility for longer duration of the research projects. Furthermore, DFF will place emphasis on collaboration, and therefore DFF-Thematic includes a requirement for the involvement of a Co-PI (Co-Principal Investigator).

The overarching requirement for thematic research projects is still to contribute new knowledge and solutions to significant societal challenges.

Please note that there may be further, theme-specific requirements for your application, cf. the individual themes, which will be evident from the call for proposals. You must therefore make sure to read both the section on the theme you wish to apply for (cf. section 2 of the call) and the section on the general requirements for your application (cf. section 3.3.1 of the call). Finally, you must be aware of the assessment criteria (cf. section 4 of the call).

Please note that the theme “Postdoctoral Exchange Programme in Quantum Research” must be applied for within the framework of DFF’s existing International Postdoctoral Grant, in which applicants are required to spend 12 months abroad and 12 months at the administrating institution (cf. section 2.3 and 3.3.2 of the call).

Read the call for thematic funds 2025 (pdf)

Find funding opportunities on the new dff.dk

The fund launches a new website in Mid-March 2025, which will make it easier to find information on funding opportunities, application deadlines and requirements for the different funding instruments. In order to make it easier to find funding opportunities, each individual theme has now its own page with all relevant information, guidelines and documents. 

See the page with current funding opportunities here

Assessment procedure

To allocate the funds and to assess the applications, DFF will establish a number of thematic committees. Thematic committees are resolved again by the end of the year. In the call for proposals (section 6.2 of the call), you can find an overview showing which thematic committee or research council will process the applications for the respective themes.

DFF expects that the thematic committees are appointed during April. When the thematic committees have been appointed, you can find an overview of the committee members on the fund’s website.

Questions and further information

Email: DFF-opslag@ufm.dk 
Tel: +45 72 31 82 00 (Mon-Fri between 9 am and 12 (noon))

About the fund’s thematic calls

Independent Research Fund Denmark will allocate funds within 11 politically determined themes in 2025.

A thematic call under Independent Research Fund Denmark is a politically prioritised, strategic initiative within a specific theme, which is open to contributions from all scientific areas that can contribute knowledge to the theme. Thematic research functions as a supplement to independent research, which is based solely on the researchers’ own curiosity-driven initiatives. For thematic research projects, DFF still emphasises that applications to the fund are based on the researchers’ own original ideas and initiatives, which then simultaneously must fall within the politically determined theme.

Since 2018, Independent Research Fund Denmark has awarded grants within politically determined themes, financed through annual political agreements on the distribution of the research reserve.