The strategy is to be translated into specific actions and initiatives based on the fundamental ideas that the starting point must be in the everyday life of researchers, in deep researcher involvement and in funding-related specialist knowledge.
There must be both the potential for local adaptation and across-the-board synergy, with space to accommodate both the central and the local contexts. The first initiatives were launched in 2023, and new ones are continuously being developed based on the needs of researchers and the academic environment, and with a focus on skills and organisational development.
The initiatives have been developed in working groups across the faculties with researchers and the local research support units.
The initiative must ensure that valuable knowledge and learning from the application process becomes embedded in the individual researcher, the individual head of department or section and across SDU.
The initiative is initially aimed at applications to the EU, the Danish National Research Foundation and the Independent Research Fund Denmark.
The initiative will make collegial sparring on applications a regular and natural part of the individual researcher’s working life.
The sparring will actively contribute to own and colleagues’ learning and, over time, it will enhance the success rate of applications.
The initiative will promote the career development of SDU researchers and the potential to obtain external funding both individually and at research group level. The mapping of tools in conjunction with increased guidance from the closest scientific leader will contribute to promoting the individual researcher’s career development. In the long term, the initiative will increase SDU’s funding as well as strengthen SDU’s branding as a university that works systematically with researchers’ career development.
The initiative will ensure optimal working conditions for researchers to write strong applications. The initiative gives researchers the opportunity to seek funding to devote themselves to the writing process without interruption during a crucial period of the application work. It can also provide the opportunity to meet with international partners when SDU is the coordinator of larger applications.
Objective of the initiative:
- To improve the framework for researchers’ application writing: peace, time, support and funding
- To provide management backing and support for the researchers’ application work
- To increase the success rate through better, more qualified and thoroughly prepared applications
- To improve the culture and incentive in connection with applications to the larger funds
Status: The initiative was launched as of 1 January 2023
What does the initiative ‘SDU’s writing retreat’ include?
Initially, DKK 600,000 per year has been set aside for the period 2023–2026 to finance researchers’ writing retreats. The writing retreats can be applied for in relation to either individual or consortium retreats. There is a focus on ensuring simplicity in approach and administration as well as flexibility in relation to the specific needs of the researchers. The funds are distributed equally between the faculties, which distribute them according to the framework below:
Would you like to go on a writing retreat?
Contact your local head of department
The initiative for administrative simplification will contribute to making work processes easier and more flexible for both the individual researcher and the administrative functions. The initiative concerns IT solutions, internal systems and workflows, e.g. in connection with budgeting, organisation, etc.
Status: The initiative has been partially implemented.
The initiative to recruit researchers provides financial scope for attracting new talent to SDU.
DKK 2.5 million has been allocated per faculty per year, initially for four years. The funds partly target talent at ERC Grant level and partly rare and exceptional recruitment opportunities at the highest international level.
The funding for the initiative is allocated up front by means of an advance commitment to the faculties and strengthens the academic environments’ ability to attract research talent, thereby strengthening academic diversity at SDU.
The initiative will strengthen recruitment and talent development at SDU. The SDU Research Academy will work systematically to develop skills in application process management and project and research management for assistant professors and early-career associate professors – skills that are increasingly in demand by Danish private and public foundations.
SDU Research Academy is targeted at assistant professors and early-career associate professors and is an extension of the preparatory programmes in project management offered to junior researchers (PhD students and postdocs).
In both private and public foundations, there is an increasing focus on applicants being able to account for the impact a given research project will have.
The impact initiative will therefore contribute to building a common and increased understanding of the concept of impact and strengthen the descriptions of impact in applications across SDU.