New research projects to accelerate the green transition

21 new research projects are launched with support from Independent Research Fund Denmark under the theme ‘Green Research’. DKK 145 million has been awarded and will, among other things, fund projects within research on eco-villages and the development of more effective and robust crops.

How can we contribute to the green transition? This question is at the centre of the 21 new research projects under the theme ‘Green research’.

See all research projects under ‘Green research’ in 2025 here.

Across scientific main areas, the researchers behind the new projects seek to find out how we can address the climate crisis and the challenges it brings. For example, research will be conducted on how to strengthen democracy in a world affected by climate change, where the handling of climate events by public institutions influences citizens’ trust in the system. Another research project will investigate how the establishment of new forests affects the water cycle, and how to ensure that new forests thrive while also preserving clean drinking water.

The grants have been awarded by the committee ‘DFF | Thematic Research – Green research’. Chair Jan O. Jeppesen, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark, states:

“The projects are rooted in different academic disciplines, but what characterises them all is their attempt to address the many challenges of the green transition. With applications covering carbon capture, sustainable food production, as well as the breakdown and recycling of plastic, the research projects encompass a broad spectrum of green transition issues.”

The research projects must also support the growth layer of Danish research, and it is therefore a requirement that at least one PhD student or postdoctoral candidate is involved in each project.

Please note that grant amounts and the number of grants are subject to change following the upcoming administrative review.

Facts about the theme ‘Green research’

Independent Research Fund Denmark received a total of 415 applications for this call. Grants were awarded to 21 projects, resulting in a success rate of 5% based on the number of applications.

This theme is one of twelve politically prioritised themes to which the fund will allocate funding in 2025.

Since 2018, Independent Research Fund Denmark has awarded grants under politically prioritised thematic calls, financed through annual political agreements on the allocation of the Danish Research Reserve.

The thematic instruments are open to applications from all scientific disciplines that can contribute relevant knowledge to the theme. Thematic research – as politically prioritised – serves as a supplement to the fund’s free and independent research funding based on researchers’ own curiosity-driven ideas.