The research reserve funds for 2020 have been allocated: 1.5 out of 1.9 billion kroner are earmarked for ‘green research’

The politicians at Christiansborg have reached a broad agreement on the distribution of the research reserve for next year. And it’s an agreement in shades of green: 1.5 out of a total pool of 1.9 billion kroner have been earmarked for ‘green’ research.

“We’re setting a new green course for Denmark’s development with this agreement. Research is absolutely crucial to our ability to achieve our ambitious goals for the transition to a green economy, which is why we’re giving green research a significant boost,” states Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen (S), minister for higher education and science in a press release on the new agreement. 

Greening our everyday lives through research

More specifically, the minister explains, the idea is to support research on developing more climate-friendly agriculture, energy and transportation in order to reduce our climate footprint on the planet. Under the agreement, funding will also go to pilot projects within sustainable architecture and design.

“The billions of kroner for green research will support the development of new ideas we haven’t though of yet as well as more finished solutions that can quickly become part of our everyday lives. This broad political agreement is an important step in the transition to a green economy, and I’m pleased that it has the support of all of parties in the Folketing”, Halsboe-Jørgensen concludes.

A lifeline to the Grundtvig Study Centre

The Grundtvig Study Centre, located at the School of Culture and Society, has also received funding to keep its doors open. The centre is in the process of digitising Grundvig’s collected works, and the 10 million kroner allocated will keep it open at least through 2020. 

Facts about the allocation of the research reserve funds

Out of the total pool of 1.925 billion kroner, 1.542 billion kroner will go to green research:

• Under the aegis of Innovation Fund Denmark, 629 million kroner have been earmarked for broad, coherent and long-term initiatives related to energy, climate, agriculture, transportation, nature and environment, cities and society, as well as behaviour.
• Under the aegis of Independent Research Fund Denmark, 340 million kroner have been earmarked to researchers’ own groundbreaking ideas, junior researchers and capacity-building.
• 40 million kroner have been allocated to climate research at DMI and research on carbon storage at GEUS.
• 336 million kroner have been allocated to the Energy Technology Development and Demonstration Programme (EUDP), which creates job and contributes to reaching the goal of a 70 percent reduction of greenhouse gases by 2030.
• 189 million kroner have been allocated to strengthening green and environmental technology and demonstration programs, as well as agriculture and environment along with nature conservation.
• 2 million kroner have been allocated to the research portal Videnskab.dk to help raise awareness and understanding in relation to the societal importance of green research.
• Finally, 6 million kroner have been allocated to pilot projects within sustainable design and architecture.

In addition, Parliament has earmarked 338 million kroner to a balanced research initiative,

• including an additional 236  kroner to Independent Research Fund Denmark, 76 million kroner of which will go to early career research talents and a new Inge Lehmann program to promote gender equality in Danish research.
• 51 million kroner have been allocated to research on the effects of early interventions and the development of economic calculation methods.
• Under the aegis of Innovation Fund Denmark, 70 million kroner have been earmarked for new technologies, including artificial intelligence research, as well as 67 million kroner for better healthcare, including clinical research.
• 10 million kroner have been earmarked to the continuation of the work of the Grundtvig Study Centre.

Source The Ministry of Higher Education and Science

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