SUND Collaborates

Call 2025 is
now open for applications!

Deadline: 1 September

Seed funding for novel research collaborations

SUND Collaborates is a strategic research programme that gives seed funding to research projects aiming to i) strengthen collaboration across SUND, ii) create novel collaborative research environments within strategically important research areas considered existing positions of strengths at SUND or research areas with the potential to become so, and iii) increase external funding within these areas.

In the strategy period 2025-2028, there will be two rounds of calls for grants in open competition. The calls will announce strategic research themes identified as important future areas by SUND, in which collaborating researchers can apply, as well as investigator-initiated research themes. The strategic research themes may vary between the two rounds. The budget for each grant is DKK 4 million over a 3-year period.

Contact

If you have any questions about the programme or the process, please feel free to contact the secretariat:

E-mail: collaborates@sund.ku.dk

SUND Collaborates Call 2025

Important dates

  • May-Jun 2025: Matchmaking events

  • 1 Sep 2025: Application deadline

  • 6-7 Oct 2025: Interview of selected applicants

  • Start Nov 2025: Applicants notified of decision

  • 1 Jan 2026: Project start
SUND Collaborates now accepts applications, offering seed funding for up to five novel research collaborations.

Deadline for applications: 1 September 2025

The call 2025 comprises three strategic research calls and two investigator-initiated research calls, with the vision to develop existing or emerging positions of strength at SUND. The strategic research calls are targeted at:

  1. Women’s health
  2. Inequality in health
  3. One health / Planetary health

The project may be inter- or multidisciplinary, or within the same discipline.

Read more about the programme, incl. who can apply, criteria, funding, evaluation and selection of projects below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPLICATION TEMPLATE

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Deadline: Monday 1 September 2025

More about the programme

 

 

 

 

 

 

The project group must include researchers from at least three SUND departments, including BRIC, termed core project collaborators. To differentiate the programme from Greater Copenhagen Health Science Partners Clinical Academic Groups (CAGs), researchers from the Department of Clinical Medicine cannot constitute a core project collaborator but can participate as additional collaborator. Likewise, researchers from the standalone centres CBMR, CTN and the forthcoming Center for Core Facilities can participate as additional collaborators. Additional external collaborators (e.g. other faculties/universities, private companies) are welcome.

The main applicant (PI) and core project collaborators must have their main employment at SUND and be associate professors or professors. The application must be endorsed by the PIs and core collaborators' Heads of Department.

 

The overall criteria for a project application are research excellence, novelty and collaboration across SUND. When evaluating the applications, special focus will be put on the following criteria:

  • The vision for development of existing or emerging positions of strength at SUND.

  • Scientific excellence of the collaborating team within the research area applied for.

  • Novelty of the research question and/or the collaborating team.

  • Synergies among the research environments at SUND participating in the research project.

  • The potential for attracting external funding.

  • The potential scientific, educational and/or innovation impact of the research project.

 

 

  • Description of the vision for development of existing or emerging positions of strength at SUND through the proposed research project.

  • Overall objectives and plan for the research activities and research supporting activities throughout the project period.

  • Description of the collaborating team.

  • A plan for how to enable fruitful collaboration among the research environments participating in the project.

  • A budget for the 3-year period.

  • Overall plan for attracting further external funding.

  • Description of potential impact, e.g. scientific, societal, education, innovation and/or outreach.

  • 2-pages CVs of the main PI and co-PIs (both core and additional collaborators).

 

Winning a grant will be considered a stamp of excellence. The successful applicants will receive DKK 4 million over a 3-year period. Of these DKK 1.5 million is for research coordination and networking, e.g. salary for a coordinator, arranging and hosting seminars/symposiums, DKK 1.5 million for research activities, e.g. salary for PhD students/postdocs, laboratory expenses, and DKK 1.0 million for PhD activities, e.g. tuitions fees, educational and networking activities for affiliated PhD students and supervisors. Disbursement of the funds is accrual, i.e. DKK 1.3 million a year, with the PI expected to manage the finances in coordination with the Steering Committee.

The grants are regarded seed funding; thus, the granted projects are expected to have the ambition to grow and attract further external funding.

 

Each project must appoint a Steering Committee comprising at least the PI and core collaborator co-PIs.

The PI is responsible for managing the project, including finances, reporting, etc.

 

The expectation is to fund five projects in each round (2025 and 2026), hereof three within the strategic research themes. However, the final ratio of strategic/investigator-initiated research projects that will be funded ultimately depends on the quality of the submitted projects.

Projects are selected through close collaboration between an external evaluation panel and the SUND Deanery. The SUND Staff Department is responsible for initially screening applications against the formal requirements. The panel will evaluate the proposals and select approx. 10 proposals, where the main PI and core collaborator co-PIs are invited for interview. Interviews will take place in Copenhagen on 6-7 October 2025, so please reserve the days when applying. Based on the proposal and interview, the panel ranks the projects whereafter the SUND Deanery decides which to support. The decision is based on an overall assessment of the criteria outlined above, but also the academic diversity and strategic potential may be taken into consideration in the SUND Deanery’s assessment.

 

Each SUND department (incl. BRIC, but excl. Department of Clinical Medicine) proposes two candidates for an external evaluation panel – ideally with a view to ensure gender balance within the panel. Candidates should have relevant and broad scientific and/or leadership experience, e.g. participation in research evaluation panels, experience as a dean etc. The SUND Academic Council shortlists the proposed candidates and forwards a recommendation to the SUND Deanery. The SUND Deanery finally select the 7 panellists that will constitute the evaluation panel (2 representatives from the medical area, and 1 representative from each of the remaining key academic areas at SUND), with a particular focus on ensuring both academic breadth and excellence.

 

 

The SUND Staff Department manages the programme, both pre- and post-award, and reports to the SUND Deanery. The principal investigator is expected to submit a brief annual status, describing the academic development of the project. A detailed financial report is not required. Each project will be anchored with one of SUND’s vice-deans, who will follow the project through annual meetings and offer feedback and guidance on the development of the project, fundraising etc.

The progress, activities, experiences, achievements, and challenges of the funded projects, and the programme overall, will be discussed annually in SUND’s Faculty Management Team (FLT). Moreover, after the first round, a mini evaluation will be carried out with a view to adjust the second round.