SDU’s Research Support Hub: An easier gateway to overview, funding, and support

By Christina Vilms Kay, SDU RIO, 12/14/2023

The landscape for research funding is changing rapidly and noticeably these years. With SDU's strategy towards 2030 focusing on groundbreaking and transformative research, it is important to seize the new opportunities. This entails, among other things, an increased focus on external funding in order to continue to conduct high-quality research.

- SDU is already making headway to obtain more external research funding, and our research quality is high. We must continue this positive development. This is, among other things, supported by the initiatives in SDU's strategy for external research funding, local initiatives, increased use of digital opportunities, and now also the shared Research Support Hub, says Rector Jens Ringsmose.

Easier to apply for funding and get support

As part of the continuous development, there is a need for more accessible access to funding opportunities, increased knowledge sharing, easier access to support, and visibility of SDU’s strategic funding initiatives. Elements, which the new Research Support Hub is a tool for, especially for the individual researcher, research group leader, and research support unit.

- With a shared tool, we can promote collaboration at SDU, increase awareness of the significant funding potentials, especially within the EU funding landscape, and make services accessible to ensure that competencies are used in the best possible way, Jens Ringsmose elaborates.

Shared entrance that accounts for differences

SDU's Research Support Hub derives from the strategy for external research funding and a desire to gather important information about funding and research support. The development itself has therefore been based on various user surveys with several researchers from all faculties. Thereby ensuring that structure and functionality accommodate the needs of the academic environments and the faculties' own services.

- The collaboration across departments and solid user insight has contributed to the new shared entrance to research support services across SDU, making it more user-friendly and transparent for the individual researcher. Both in terms of getting support regarding legal services, personal data, application- and budget processes, but also within business development, commercialization of research, and establishment of spinouts, says Søren E. Frandsen, head of SDU RIO and chairman of the coordination committee on research support at SDU.

The development of SDU's new Research Support Hub has taken place in close collaboration with the five faculties' research support units/leaders, relevant service units in the Central Administration, and SDU RIO, which has acted as project manager.

Explore SDU’s Research Support Hub