182 new ideas and original research projects take flight

Independent Research Fund Denmark has just awarded DKK 558 million to 182 research projects through the instrument DFF–Research Project1, which supports free, groundbreaking research. The grants are awarded to talented researchers who each receive up to DKK 2.5 million to pursue their own original ideas.

DFF's logo i blue nuances on a light blue background

The newly funded projects span a wide range of topics,  from new technologies and linguistics to biodiversity and sustainability. What they all have in common is originality and the potential to push the boundaries of what we know.

“Free research is an investment in tomorrow’s insights. This is where surprising breakthroughs begin – in the researchers’ own questions. It’s a big day when so many strong ideas get the chance to see if their wings will carry them. We are proud to make that possible,” says Søren Serritzlew, Chair of the Board of Independent Research Fund Denmark.

DFF–Research Project1 is the instrument with the highest number of annual grants for free and researcher-initiated research. It is designed to give researchers the opportunity to test or develop their best research ideas. All projects are assessed and selected by the fund’s five academic research councils.

Find all ’DFF-Forskningsprojekt1’ 2025 here

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

Facts about the 2025 DFF–Research Project1 call

Independent Research Fund Denmark received 1,801 applications for DFF–Research Project1.
DKK 558.3 million has been awarded to 182 projects.
The success rate is 10%, based on the number of applications.
Projects typically run for up to three years and must be carried out within a financial framework of DKK 2.5 million (excluding overhead).