Danish Research Foundation to increase budget for scientific grants and deepen public-private cooperation

The Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF) has published its strategic priorities for 2026-2030 with an increase in the maximum budget size of Centres of Excellence (the primary funding mechanism of DNRF), strengthened coordination with public funders and private foundations, and the launch of a new "Rising Stars" scheme to support researchers transitioning into independent leadership roles.

The foundation's new strategic priorities, published on 23/02/2026, are divided into three key points:
• Advancing scientific excellence - increase the funding scale, support access across all fields of science, bridge basic research and societal impact, and collaborate across the funding landscape;
• Supporting talent and teams - launch a ‘Rising Stars’ scheme, enhance core group function, share best practices on mentoring and career development;
• Promoting responsible assessment - adjust CV template, explore new models for early-stage assessment and enhance the support of Centres.

However, the foundation noted that these initiatives depended on the injection of sufficient new capital, as the…