News
148.6 million DKK to support research in psychiatry
Independent Research Fund Denmark has just awarded nearly 148.6 million DKK to 29 researchers under the theme ‘Research in psychiatry’. The new research projects aim to strengthen academic environments across the entire field of psychiatry and contribute to better prevention and treatment of mental disorders.
How can we prevent people with severe mental illnesses from having shorter life expectancy than the general population? What potential factors and biological mechanisms underlie schizophrenia? How does ADHD medication affect children and young people in the long term?
These questions are just a few of the many that the 29 researchers will investigate, but they all share a common goal: to strengthen psychiatric research. This includes areas such as prevention, causal factors, early interventions, effective treatment methods, involvement of relatives, and medication-free alternatives.
»Psychiatric disorders can affect people early in life and have lifelong consequences. Therefore, the burden is significant, both for society and for the individual. It is crucial that we support and strengthen the field with high-quality research. I am very impressed by the applications we have received - not only by their high academic level but also by their breadth and innovative creativity,« says Mikael Landén, professor at the University of Gothenburg and chair of the thematic committee ‘DFF | Thematic research – Research in psychiatry’, which awarded the grants.
He continues:
»In psychiatry, all approaches are based on research, and even though it can be difficult to measure the contribution of each individual project, the supported projects will undoubtedly create significant progress, especially in interaction with one another.«
See all research projects under “Psychiatric Research” in 2025 here.
Research to examine the effects of integrating treatment of body and mind among children and young people
In Denmark, the number of children and young people with psychiatric diagnoses has increased in recent years, but we do not know exactly why. However, research shows a connection between psychiatric diagnoses and physical illness. Senior researcher Andreas Jensen from Rigshospitalet is one of the 29 researchers who has received funding under “Psychiatric Research.” He will delve into this connection and investigate whether integrated treatment of psychiatric and physical illnesses can lead to better treatment outcomes for patients.
Read the article here (in Danish).
Please note: The stated grant amounts may be subject to change following the upcoming budget review.
Facts about the theme
Independent Research Fund Denmark has received a total of 165 applications for ‘Research in psychiatry’, and funding has been awarded to 29 projects. The success rate is 18% measured by the number of applications.
‘Research in psychiatry’ is one of 12 politically determined themes to which Independent Research Fund Denmark will allocate funding in 2025.
Since 2018, Independent Research Fund Denmark has awarded research grants within politically determined themes, which are financed through annual political agreements on the distribution of the research reserve.
The programmes are open to applications from all scientific fields that can contribute knowledge relevant to the theme. Politically prioritised thematic research serves as a supplement to independent research based on researchers’ own curiosity-driven initiatives.