1. Ground-breaking nature and potential significance of the research project

To what extent does the proposed research represent an ambitious, original, and potentially transformative contribution to its field?

In the assessment, reviewers will consider:

• To what extent does the project address important and clearly articulated research questions or challenges?
• To what extent are the objectives ambitious and demonstrably beyond the current state of the art?
• To what extent does the project have the potential to generate significant advances in knowledge, understanding, or conceptual frameworks within its field and beyond?

2. Research approach and feasibility of the project

To what extent is the proposed approach well suited to the ambition of the project and realistic in terms of its execution?

In the assessment, reviewers will consider:

• To what extent is the proposed methodology, material, or analytical framework appropriate for addressing the project’s objectives?
• To what extent does the project strike a convincing balance between originality, ambition, and feasibility?
• To what extent are the proposed timeline, resources, and overall project organisation coherent, realistic, and well justified?
• To what extent is the applicant’s overall funding situation and level of commitments compatible with the expectation to dedicate at least 50% of their research time to the proposed project?

 3. Intellectual capacity, creativity, and leadership of the applicant

To what extent does the applicant demonstrate the intellectual capacity, creativity, and leadership required to successfully carry out a project of this scope and ambition?

In the assessment, reviewers will consider:

• To what extent has the applicant demonstrated originality, independent thinking, and the ability to produce research of the highest international quality, relative to career stage?
• To what extent does the applicant possess the expertise, experience, and professional standing necessary to realise the proposed project?
• To what extent is the applicant’s proposed dedication of at least 50% of their research time to the project credible in light of existing funding and commitments?
• To what extent has the applicant demonstrated leadership potential, including the ability to mentor, supervise, and develop junior researchers, where relevant?

Overall assessment

Reviewers are asked to provide an overall assessment of the application, highlighting the main strengths and weaknesses of the proposal in relation to the criteria above.

Strategic assessment considerations

During the assessment meeting, the panels may, as part of the evaluation, take additional strategic considerations into account.

These may include:

• The extent to which funding decisions contribute to an appropriate balance with regard to gender, disciplinary breadth, and institutional representation across Danish research environments.

1. Ground-breaking nature and potential significance of the research project

To what extent does the proposed research represent an outstanding and ambitious contribution with the potential to advance its field at the highest international level?

In the assessment, the board will consider:

• To what extent does the project address important and clearly formulated research questions or challenges?
• To what extent is the underlying research question clearly formulated and convincingly communicated to a broad academic audience?
• To what extent are the objectives ambitious and convincingly positioned beyond the current state of the art?
• To what extent does the project demonstrate the potential for significant advances in knowledge, understanding, or conceptual development?

In its assessment, the board takes into account the conclusions and overall evaluations provided by the external assessment panels.

2. Research approach and overall feasibility

To what extent is the proposed approach convincing, coherent, and appropriate in relation to the ambition and scale of the project?

In the assessment, the board will consider:

• To what extent is the overall project design well-reasoned and internally coherent?
• To what extent does the proposal demonstrate an appropriate balance between ambition, risk, and feasibility at the scale of the grant?
• To what extent are the scope, resources, and timeframe of the project reasonable and well justified?

The board’s assessment is informed by the external evaluations, while focusing on the project as a whole rather than disciplinary detail.

3. Intellectual capacity, leadership, and career development

To what extent does the applicant demonstrate the intellectual capacity, leadership, and potential required to realise a project of this scope and ambition?

In the assessment, the board will consider:

• To what extent does the applicant demonstrate the ability to lead and develop a major research initiative?
• To what extent does the proposal support career development, mentoring, and capacity building within the research environment, where relevant?
• To what extent does the applicant’s profile and experience convincingly match the ambition of the project and the grant type?

Based on the criteria above, the board conducts an overall assessment of the applications, taking into account both the external evaluations and the Board’s own judgement. 

Strategic considerations

When prioritising between applications of comparable overall quality, the board may take additional strategic considerations into account, including:

• balance with regard to gender,
• balance across the foundation’s main supported research fields and primary research areas, 
• balance in the distribution of grants across Danish research institutions.