Research expert advice

Innovation Fund Denmark must approve the award procedure and the research expert assessment of applications when ministries award government research grants.

In practice, this means that together with you we clarify:

• how calls and guidance documents should be drafted
• which assessment criteria the applications are to be evaluated against
• how the assessment and decision-making process should be organised
• which model is to be used for the research expert assessment
• which documents and information Innovation Fund Denmark is to receive
• how the process is handled if applications are assessed as not eligible for support on research expert grounds

When Innovation Fund Denmark assesses an award procedure, we look, among other things, at:

• whether the call text is of sufficient quality
• whether the application deadlines are reasonable
• whether there are objective assessment criteria
• whether the subject area is described sufficiently
• whether there is coherence between the funds offered and what is expected of applicants

When you contact Innovation Fund Denmark, it is an advantage if you have as much of the relevant material ready as possible.

This may include, for example:

• draft call
• draft guidance document
• process plan for the award procedure
• assessment criteria
• description of the assessment and decision-making process
• applications or research appendices, if the application round has been completed
• information on any research committee in the ministry or agency

The material forms the basis for Innovation Fund Denmark to approve the award procedure and clarify how the research expert assessment is to be carried out.

Model 1 can be used if the ministry or agency itself has a research committee that can assess the applications at a research expert level comparable to that of recognised researchers from Innovation Fund Denmark’s researcher database.
Innovation Fund Denmark must approve that the research committee meets the statutory requirements regarding recognised researchers and has the necessary research expertise in relation to the specific call.
The ministry’s or agency’s own research committee then assesses the applications and decides whether they are eligible for support on research expert grounds or not eligible for support.
If an application is assessed as not eligible for support on research expert grounds, the ministry or agency is responsible for ensuring that the applicant receives a well-reasoned rejection.
Expected timeframe for Innovation Fund Denmark’s assessment of the committee: approx. 2 weeks.

Model 2 can be used when Innovation Fund Denmark organises the research expert assessment via the Fund’s database of recognised researchers.
The database includes, among other things, recognised researchers from subject councils and panels, ad hoc experts affiliated with the Independent Research Fund Denmark, as well as recognised researchers affiliated with Innovation Fund Denmark’s own committees and panels.
Once Innovation Fund Denmark has received the applications, the Fund assesses which recognised researchers have sufficient research expertise in the individual applications. If the researchers accept the assignment, the Fund allocates the applications for assessment. After the assessments have been completed, Innovation Fund Denmark quality-assures the assessments and communicates the result to the ministry or agency. The ministry or agency sends assessments concluding that the application is not eligible for support on research expert grounds for party consultation with the applicant. After the consultation period has ended, Innovation Fund Denmark receives the applicant’s response, which the Fund’s recognised researchers then provide feedback on to the ministry or agency.

Guidelines for research expert advice 25.06.2026

Law on Innovation Fund Denmark