Impact report: The many pathways of research to knowledge, value, and society

Find Independent Research Fund Denmark’s Impact Report 2025 here 

With its 2025 Impact Report, Independent Research Fund Denmark presents, for the first time, an overview of how its research grants lead to value in research results, collaborations, competencies, and ideas — both within academia and in society in general.

Key highlights from the report are:

• 4 out of 5 grant recipients collaborate with actors outside the university as part of their research – including private companies
• Each DFF research grant leads to an average of 8.5 publications in peer-reviewed academic journals
• Since 2018, more than 9,500 researchers – including nearly 1,800 PhD students and 1,900 postdocs – have been involved in DFF-funded projects, strengthening research environments and cross-disciplinary, international collaboration

»It is more important than ever to show how free and researcher-driven research lays the foundation of our knowledge society – and, crucially, how it helps us understand and solve major societal challenges. The public debate often revolves around speed and technology, but real progress begins with insight and recognition. And that only happens when we dare to invest in independent, curiosity-driven research,« says Søren Serritzlew, Chair of the Board at Independent Research Fund Denmark.

Five Pathways to Research Impact

The report emphasises that research can generate impact in many different ways. While it does not attempt to capture every possible impact pathway, it follows five key dimensions of research impact identified by the fund in its 2016 publication “Five Pathways to Research Impact”:

1. In the education system
2. In the economy and business sector
3. In legislation
4. In public regulation
5. In the cultural sector and society

Find Independent Research Fund Denmark’s Impact Report 2025 here