Result of the adjustment process

The Faculty of Science has adjusted its finances corresponding to approx. DKK 16 million annually from and including 2024. In the remediation phase, we managed to find approx. DKK 12.8 million by finding new income, transfers to external funds, operational savings, efficiency improvements, postponed positions, reduced working hours and voluntary resignations. This left the faculty with a need to find the remaining adjustments, corresponding to DKK 3.2 million, in salary costs.

The financial adjustments have a number of implications for the faculty's departments, the faculty administration and the SDU Climate Cluster, which are broadly described below.

Department of Biology

The department has adapted its budget by reducing expenses covered by ordinary funds corresponding to approx. DKK 3.2 million from and including 2024. These reductions have been found through realistic, increased expectations for overhead income in connection with external projects; increased transfer of permanent employees to external projects; reorganisation of the finance function at the department (in collaboration with the faculty administration) as one position at the department has been cut; and closure of the electronics workshop shared with the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which will affect two positions.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The department adjusts its labour costs by approx. DKK 2.1 million from and including 2024. This is done via postponing job openings, internal re-positioning of an employee and two voluntary resignations among the technical/administrative staff. The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has also increased its expectations for earnings via externally funded research by approx. DKK 1.5 million in 2024. Overall, these measures are expected to bring the department's finances into balance in the coming years. As the financial adjustment does not entail a loss of tasks, the department's sections must adapt in the coming period in order to ensure continued effective task solving.

Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy

In recent years, the department has worked purposefully to balance its budget. This has been achieved by postponing or eliminating positions that were otherwise planned in the budget, as well as a targeted effort to optimise operational costs. The Department of Physics, Chemitry and Pharmacy is now adjusting the salary costs again by increasing its expectation for re-accounting of technical/administrative staff involved in research projects and by postponing or reducing the number of planned academic positions. At the same time, labour costs for the workshop are reduced due to the discontinuation of certain tasks. There have been some voluntary and one imposed reduction in weekly working hours. The department further reduces its operational costs by eventually reducing the number of NMR instruments at the department, as well as other smaller measures to reduce laboratory operations.

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

The department has not had to to adjust its budget in connection with the financial adjustments, as its income has been increasing in recent years due to the Master's degree program in Data Science, combined with an increased take-in of external funds.

SDU Climate Cluster

The SDU Climate Cluster (SCC) adapts its labour and operational costs. SCC reduces the possibility of administrative help in relation to events and external activities outside SCC.

Science Faculty Administration

Personell costs are reduced by the equivalent of one full-time position. An employee resigned from their position before the announcement of the financial adjustments. The position, which was a journalistic project position, had been expected to be converted into a permanent position, but has been discontinued instead. The faculty administration has also budgeted with an increased transfer of labour costs to external funds in the research support unit as well as savings on operating accounts.