{"id":183565,"date":"2025-11-10T08:04:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T07:04:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/egelunds-milliardplan-samler-naesten-hele-folketinget-ny-aftale-skal-give-ro-og-retning-i-dansk-forskning\/"},"modified":"2025-11-10T13:59:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T12:59:54","slug":"danish-universities-to-benefit-from-billion-kroner-funding-reform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/danish-universities-to-benefit-from-billion-kroner-funding-reform\/","title":{"rendered":"Danish universities to benefit from billion-kroner funding reform"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00bbA breakthrough\u00ab and \u00bbsomething close to a political miracle\u00ab.<\/p>\n

These were a couple of the glowing endorsements from political spokespersons last week as a clearly satisfied Christina Egelund presented a new research policy agreement for 2026\u20132029.<\/p>\n

The Minister for Higher Education and Science had united all parties in the Danish parliament, with the minor exception of the small Citizens’ Party, to secure DKK 18.4 billion in research investments.<\/p>\n

The breakthrough is in the agreement’s multi-year financial framework. Universities and research communities had long wanted a change to the previous system of allocating a research funding pool one year at a time.<\/p>\n

The billions of kroner are mainly earmarked for research in security, health, and climate.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the universities\u2019 basic funding is being increased \u2014 something that is welcomed by university rectors.<\/p>\n

Time to focus on things that matter<\/h3>\n

Researchers in Denmark will notice the advent of the new political agreement in two specific ways, Christina Egelund explained to the University Post after the agreement presentation.<\/p>\n

\n

Split in TWO<\/p>\n

The new research agreement is formally split into two agreements.<\/p>\n

The first agreement includes all parties (with the exception of the Citizens’ Party). This is the larger agreement, distributing about 75 per cent of the total sum.<\/p>\n

The second agreement also excludes the Liberal Alliance party. This agreement contains the so-called Inge Lehmann Programme, which supports talented female researchers. The Liberal Alliance party believes that an initiative like this is gender discriminatory and has, as in previous years, opted out of this part of the deal.<\/p>\n

The two agreements allocate in total DKK 18.4 billion to research. The Danish national budget earmarks additional funding to research. This is why the Ministry of Higher Education and Science states that more than DKK 19 billion is being allocated to research \u2014 as some of this funding is included in other agreements.<\/p>\n

There is more information about the agreement on the ministry’s website (in Danish)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00bbFirstly, the longer-term funding provides stability. This makes a difference in terms of how research projects can be planned. Secondly, we are significantly increasing the universities\u2019 non-earmarked basic funding. This eases the pressure on research communities that are dependent on writing grant applications to both public and private foundations,\u00ab the Minister for Higher Education and Science said. She added that she hopes more researchers can move from temporary project positions to permanent roles.<\/p>\n

\u00bbBecause this means you can focus on what really matters \u2014 research \u2014 and not chasing the next round of funding. It creates resilience and stability in university research communities, which I think is really important.\u00ab<\/p>\n

The agreement includes funding to strengthen academic freedom in Denmark, which, according to the minister, is under pressure.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe now agree that the principles and values that safeguard researchers’ freedom and independent thought should be politically protected. I think that sends a strong signal from Denmark at a time when such principles are under attack in other parts of the world,\u00ab said the minister.<\/p>\n

The increased focus on academic freedom will be partly put into action through a summit in early 2026, where researchers, universities and other stakeholders will join politicians to take stock of the state of academic freedom in Denmark.<\/p>\n

Social Liberals call for permanent increase<\/h3>\n

Stinus Lindgreen, research spokesperson for the centrist Social Liberal Party, is pleased with the new multi-year research agreement.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWhen you start a research project, results often don\u2019t appear until five, ten or twenty years later. That\u2019s why it made no sense to allocate funding on a one-year basis,\u00ab he told the University Post.<\/p>\n

Everything is a matter of priorities \u2014 and we have the funds we have<\/p>\n

Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science (M)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Social Liberal spokesperson would however have preferred a larger \u2014 and permanent \u2014 increase in basic funding.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI also think they should have raised the basic funding in one go, instead of splitting it into innovation funding and non-earmarked funding. It\u2019s still unclear how this will be administered. But this was the deal that we could reach \u2014 and at least we\u2019ve taken a step in the right direction,\u00ab he said.<\/p>\n

The University Post asked the minister why the basic funding wasn\u2019t increased even further, as suggested by Stinus Lindgreen.<\/p>\n

\u00bbEverything is a matter of priorities \u2014 and we have the funds we have. We raised it by half a billion last year \u2014 for one year \u2014 and now we\u2019re increasing it to a full billion, initially for a period of four years. So I believe this is a major \u2014 and much-needed \u2014 boost to basic funding,\u00ab replied Christina Egelund.<\/p>\n

Peace research and nuclear power<\/h3>\n

The new agreement earmarks a total DKK 6.9 billion for research into security, critical technologies and defence.<\/p>\n

In a departure from this, the Socialist People\u2019s Party (SF) entered the negotiations with a wish to prioritise peace research. In this, they succeeded, as the agreement sets aside DKK 25 million for this from 2026 to 2029.<\/p>\n

\u00bbMany of our neighbouring countries have peace research centres that study wars as they may have looked like 20 years ago. I believe Denmark is well-positioned to investigate what peace might look like in a new era of hybrid and cyber warfare, and all kinds of other things we didn\u2019t know about 20 years ago. We have huge potential to contribute to this globally. That\u2019s why I think it\u2019s only natural that DIIS [the Danish Institute for International Studies, ed.] should set up a strong research community in this field,\u00ab said SF research spokesperson Sofie Lippert to the University Post.<\/p>\n

Conservative Party research spokesperson Lise Bertelsen had, at the same time, fought for the inclusion of nuclear power research in the agreement. She succeeded, and the parties have allocated DKK 40 million to nuclear research.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThis is a chance to counter fear with facts, and we\u2019d like to go even further. We want to lift the ban on nuclear power, because we know this is one of the ways to address the green transition,\u00ab said Lise Bertelsen.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO:<\/strong> No more political tinkering: Danish government launches long-term research strategy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

This article was first written in Danish and published on 7 November 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
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Cross-party agreement channels DKK 18 billion into research over a four year time period. 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for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund presents the new agreement alongside research spokespersons from political parties in parliament.."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Research strategy","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>\u00bbA breakthrough\u00ab and \u00bbsomething close to a political miracle\u00ab.<\/p>\n<p>These were a couple of the glowing endorsements from political spokespersons last week as a clearly satisfied Christina Egelund presented a new research policy agreement for 2026\u20132029.<\/p>\n<p>The Minister for Higher Education and Science had united all parties in the Danish parliament, with the minor exception of the small Citizens’ Party, to secure DKK 18.4 billion in research investments.<\/p>\n<p>The breakthrough is in the agreement’s multi-year financial framework. Universities and research communities had long wanted a change to the previous system of allocating a research funding pool one year at a time.<\/p>\n<p>The billions of kroner are mainly earmarked for research in security, health, and climate.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the universities\u2019 basic funding is being increased \u2014 something that is welcomed by university rectors.<\/p>\n<h3>Time to focus on things that matter<\/h3>\n<p>Researchers in Denmark will notice the advent of the new political agreement in two specific ways, Christina Egelund explained to the University Post after the agreement presentation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">Split in TWO<\/p>\n<p>The new research agreement is formally split into two agreements.<\/p>\n<p>The first agreement includes all parties (with the exception of the Citizens’ Party). This is the larger agreement, distributing about 75 per cent of the total sum.<\/p>\n<p>The second agreement also excludes the Liberal Alliance party. This agreement contains the so-called Inge Lehmann Programme, which supports talented female researchers. The Liberal Alliance party believes that an initiative like this is gender discriminatory and has, as in previous years, opted out of this part of the deal.<\/p>\n<p>The two agreements allocate in total DKK 18.4 billion to research. The Danish national budget earmarks additional funding to research. This is why the Ministry of Higher Education and Science states that more than DKK 19 billion is being allocated to research \u2014 as some of this funding is included in other agreements.<\/p>\n<p>There is more information about <a href=\"https:\/\/ufm.dk\/aktuelt\/pressemeddelelser\/2025\/bredt-flertal-er-enige-om-nybrud-i-dansk-forskningspolitik-med-flerarige-milliardinvesteringer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the agreement on the ministry’s website (in Danish)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u00bbFirstly, the longer-term funding provides stability. This makes a difference in terms of how research projects can be planned. Secondly, we are significantly increasing the universities\u2019 non-earmarked basic funding. This eases the pressure on research communities that are dependent on writing grant applications to both public and private foundations,\u00ab the Minister for Higher Education and Science said. She added that she hopes more researchers can move from temporary project positions to permanent roles.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbBecause this means you can focus on what really matters \u2014 research \u2014 and not chasing the next round of funding. It creates resilience and stability in university research communities, which I think is really important.\u00ab<\/p>\n<p>The agreement includes funding to strengthen academic freedom in Denmark, which, according to the minister, is under pressure.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe now agree that the principles and values that safeguard researchers’ freedom and independent thought should be politically protected. I think that sends a strong signal from Denmark at a time when such principles are under attack in other parts of the world,\u00ab said the minister.<\/p>\n<p>The increased focus on academic freedom will be partly put into action through a summit in early 2026, where researchers, universities and other stakeholders will join politicians to take stock of the state of academic freedom in Denmark.<\/p>\n<h3>Social Liberals call for permanent increase<\/h3>\n<p>Stinus Lindgreen, research spokesperson for the centrist Social Liberal Party, is pleased with the new multi-year research agreement.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWhen you start a research project, results often don\u2019t appear until five, ten or twenty years later. That\u2019s why it made no sense to allocate funding on a one-year basis,\u00ab he told the University Post.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Everything is a matter of priorities \u2014 and we have the funds we have<\/p>\n<p class=\"quotee\">Christina Egelund, Minister for Higher Education and Science (M)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Social Liberal spokesperson would however have preferred a larger \u2014 and permanent \u2014 increase in basic funding.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI also think they should have raised the basic funding in one go, instead of splitting it into innovation funding and non-earmarked funding. It\u2019s still unclear how this will be administered. But this was the deal that we could reach \u2014 and at least we\u2019ve taken a step in the right direction,\u00ab he said.<\/p>\n<p>The University Post asked the minister why the basic funding wasn\u2019t increased even further, as suggested by Stinus Lindgreen.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbEverything is a matter of priorities \u2014 and we have the funds we have. We raised it by half a billion last year \u2014 for one year \u2014 and now we\u2019re increasing it to a full billion, initially for a period of four years. So I believe this is a major \u2014 and much-needed \u2014 boost to basic funding,\u00ab replied Christina Egelund.<\/p>\n<h3>Peace research and nuclear power<\/h3>\n<p>The new agreement earmarks a total DKK 6.9 billion for research into security, critical technologies and defence.<\/p>\n<p>In a departure from this, the Socialist People\u2019s Party (SF) entered the negotiations with a wish to prioritise peace research. In this, they succeeded, as the agreement sets aside DKK 25 million for this from 2026 to 2029.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbMany of our neighbouring countries have peace research centres that study wars as they may have looked like 20 years ago. I believe Denmark is well-positioned to investigate what peace might look like in a new era of hybrid and cyber warfare, and all kinds of other things we didn\u2019t know about 20 years ago. We have huge potential to contribute to this globally. That\u2019s why I think it\u2019s only natural that DIIS [the Danish Institute for International Studies, ed.] should set up a strong research community in this field,\u00ab said SF research spokesperson Sofie Lippert to the University Post.<\/p>\n<p>Conservative Party research spokesperson Lise Bertelsen had, at the same time, fought for the inclusion of nuclear power research in the agreement. She succeeded, and the parties have allocated DKK 40 million to nuclear research.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThis is a chance to counter fear with facts, and we\u2019d like to go even further. We want to lift the ban on nuclear power, because we know this is one of the ways to address the green transition,\u00ab said Lise Bertelsen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/no-more-political-tinkering-danish-government-launches-long-term-research-strategy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">No more political tinkering: Danish government launches long-term research strategy<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 7 November 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":48,"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":48,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1035,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":6798,"name":"christina egelund","slug":"christina-egelund-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":6798,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":288,"name":"Folketinget","slug":"folketinget-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":288,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":3,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":8462,"name":"forskningsreserven","slug":"forskningsreserven","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":8462,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":8431,"name":"forskningsstrategi","slug":"forskningsstrategi","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":8431,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"}],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11487,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/egelundaftale-1280x853.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183565"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183565\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183607,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183565\/revisions\/183607"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}