32 researchers receive DKK 75,000 to kickstart great ideas

32 researchers from all faculties at the University of Southern Denmark have received 75,000 kroner to advance their ideas. The purpose is to give the early-stage ideas in the researchers' repositories a boost.

The Discovery Grant are allocated internally at SDU and are financed by appropriations from the national budget. The ideas cover a wide range – from climate-friendly steel production to AI monitoring of cattle welfare and various drone and energy projects.

For instance, researchers Henrik Andersen and Kun Qian from the Center for Industrial Electronics at the Faculty of Engineering aim to develop an intelligent energy management system that can predict and adapt to changes in energy demand, battery wear, and challenges in the power grid. The goal is to make future energy systems more efficient and secure.

- Kun and I are very pleased to receive the funds; it gives us the opportunity to develop the first hardware version of our EMS. With the funds, we will develop the controller itself, which will be the backbone of our system. This will provide us with a platform to test our models on, says Henrik Andersen.

Applications reflect diversity and creativity 

Head of Office Thomas Schmidt leads SDU RIO's team of business developers, who screen Discovery applications and allocate the funds.

He observes a diversity and creativity in the applications, which come from all faculties, enhancing the quality of the innovation the university is engaged in.

- With a Discovery Grant, SDU provides researchers the opportunity to take the first, necessary steps and determine whether an idea is actually viable. It's not so much about guaranteeing success or a specific output, but about creating a solid foundation for further innovation, says Thomas Schmidt. 

Innovation that creates value for society 

Even small funds can make a big difference. This has been experienced by, among others, Associate Professor Anita Wohlmann from the Department of Culture and Language Studies. 
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In the spring of 2025, she received support for a project that translates research into a tool aimed at strengthening dialogue and understanding between individuals with experiences in psychiatry, healthcare professionals, and relatives in clinical courses on mental illness.

- The Discovery Grant made it possible to involve two key project members whose unique perspectives within psychiatry were highly valuable for the development. The guidance and feedback I received from colleagues at SDU RIO were equally valuable, the associate professor said at the time. 

Strong success rates

Over three years with Discovery funds, there have been four rounds of grants as of mid-2026.

177 applications have resulted in 84 grants. SDU RIO expects to distribute another round of funds in the winter.