New Act and changes to the fund’s calls in 2026

Questions and answers (FAQ) on the amended Act on Independent Research Fund Denmark

• What is new in the Act?

  The legislative amendment introduces three changes affecting Independent Research Fund Denmark: a limitation on the number of applications per applicant, collaboration with other foundations on calls for proposals for thematic funding, and an extension of the strategy period.

  From January 2026, Independent Research Fund Denmark will begin implementing the legislative amendment. It is important to the fund that the implementation is carried out in a proper and transparent manner. Therefore, over the coming months the fund will continuously publish a series of news items on the consequences of the legislative amendment that will be of relevance to applicants.

  On 11 December 2025, the Danish Parliament adopted the bill amending the Act on the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy and Independent Research Fund Denmark. The Act was initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and introduced in the Danish Parliament by the Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund.

• What do the changes to the Act mean for me as an applicant?

  The changes will affect when and how frequently you can apply to Independent Research Fund Denmark. However, the specific restrictions that will apply to you as an applicant must first be defined in more detail in the Executive Order on the Grant Administration, etc. under Independent Research Fund Denmark (Bekendtgørelse om bevillingsfunktionen m.v. under Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond), which is expected to be adopted in the period from January to March 2026. The fund will provide further information on its website as soon as there is new information to share.

• Why have you not informed us about this earlier?

  The legislative amendment was adopted shortly before Christmas 2025. Prior to its adoption, the bill was subject to a public consultation involving a number of authorities, institutions and organisations, etc. from 23 June 2025 to 21 August 2025. Independent Research Fund Denmark was not able to inform applicants about the legislative amendment or its consequences until the Act had been adopted by the Danish Parliament. The fund therefore begins informing about the changes now. The Ministry of Higher Education and Science was the responsible authority for managing the process leading up to the adoption of the Act by the Danish Parliament.

• Have I had an opportunity to submit comments on the legislative amendment?

  Yes. The bill was circulated for public consultation among a number of authorities, institutions and organisations, etc. from 23 June 2025 to 21 August 2025. Most universities submitted consultation responses, and a number of other research institutions and organisations also made use of this opportunity. On the basis of the consultation responses, the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science adjusted the Act so that the limitation on applications from active grant holders applies to applicants with two or more grants – and not to applicants with one active grant, as set out in the original Act.

• Why is Independent Research Fund Denmark being given a revised Act?

  The Ministry of Higher Education and Science has assessed that there was a need to amend the Act on Independent Research Fund Denmark. Since the fund was given a new Act in 2017, the volume of applications has increased by 87 per cent, while funding has not increased to the same extent. As a result, many applicants submit applications to the fund that do not receive funding. At the same time, the fund’s reviewers and secretariat spend significant resources processing a large number of applications that are rejected. Some of the applications received by the fund come from applicants who submit multiple applications in the same year (often the same application to different funding instruments), or who already hold several active grants from the fund. On this basis, the Ministry has assessed that it is appropriate to limit the number of applications an applicant may submit, as well as to restrict the possibility for further applications from active grant holders with two or more grants from the fund.

  The purpose of the amended Act is to support the fund’s success rates not declining further, so that the fund can award grants to applications at least to the same extent as before (in percentage terms), and to simplify the fund’s administration of applications. The Act also entails an extension of the fund’s strategy period by one year, changing the strategy from covering a three-year period to a four-year period.

• When do the amended Act and the Executive Order enter into force?

  The Act amending the Act on the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy and Independent Research Fund Denmark took effect on 1 January 2026. However, the detailed rules on limiting the number of applications and imposing quarantine periods must be laid down in the Executive Order on the Grant Administration, etc. under Independent Research Fund Denmark (Bekendtgørelse om bevillingsfunktionen m.v. under Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond). The Ministry of Higher Education and Science is responsible for issuing the new Executive Order following a public consultation process. The Executive Order is expected to be issued during the first quarter of 2026. Once this has taken place, the fund will be able to implement the limitations in its calls for research funding. The fund expects the implementation to take place in 2026.

• Which call or funding instrument should I submit my application to?

  It is up to you as an applicant to assess where your application fits best – this is unchanged from previous years. Unfortunately, the secretariat does not provide guidance on academic matters, and you must therefore assess by yourself which call or funding instrument best matches your original research idea. Find current funding opportunities here. 

  If you are interested in seeing success rates for the different research councils and committees, as well as for funding instruments and thematic areas in previous years, you can find more information in the fund’s annual reports here. 

• When might I be subject to a quarantine period?

  The specific criteria for imposing quarantine periods will be determined by the fund during 2026. The fund expects to introduce quarantine periods in the calls for proposals for 2027. It is not yet clear whether the criteria will apply to all target groups and funding instruments, but this will be specified in the calls for proposals once quarantine periods are implemented.

  What is currently known is that, under the Act, you as an applicant may be subject to a quarantine period if your application is of a quality far below the threshold for consideration of funding, or if your scientific qualifications are otherwise assessed as being insufficient. The Act further provides that a quarantine period may be imposed for up to two years from the date on which the decision to impose the quarantine period is taken.

• How will Independent Research Fund Denmark collaborate with other foundations on funding thematic calls?

  Independent Research Fund Denmark now has the legal basis to collaborate with other foundations on the allocation of politically prioritised funding, for example politically defined thematic areas, and thus not on the fund’s independent funding. The fund will enter into relevant collaborations where this is deemed appropriate with the purpose of strengthening a politically prioritised area. The fund will consider potential collaborations on an ad hoc basis and in response to specific approaches from other foundations.