By Lisbet Crone and Karen Marie Bjørnstrup Vølund, Independent Research Fund Denmark 

Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) is a member of the CERRA International Stakeholder Committee and the organiser of CERRA Breakout Session 2: Leadership for Change, taking place on 4 December 2025. This thematic session brings together leading institutions from across Europe and beyond that have been at the forefront of developing and testing new metrics, indicators, and assessment frameworks. The session will be co-chaired by Sean Sapcariu, Programme Manager at the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), and Professor Søren Serritzlew, Chair of DFF and Professor at Aarhus University.

DFF is committed to ensuring that all talents can contribute and that researchers have the opportunity to pursue their most original and ambitious ideas. By supporting excellent, curiosity-driven research, the fund helps lay the foundation for breakthroughs that expand our understanding and shape the society of tomorrow. In 2022, DFF joined the Coalition on Reforming Research Assessment (CoARA) and signed the Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment. As part of this effort, DFF promotes an inclusive approach to research quality – one that values a diversity of outcomes, practices, and scholarly contributions. The implementation of the agreement equips the fund with the tools needed to identify and support innovative research. It also fosters a broad and inclusive understanding of excellence – one that makes room for diverse questions, theories, and methods. 

Building on its CoARA Action Plan, which was launched in 2024 based on insights from internal workshops, DFF has played a key role in establishing a Danish CoARA network, which may in time develop into a formal Danish CoARA National Chapter. Guided by the action plan, the fund is now preparing a revision of its assessment criteria and procedures. It is also developing a new CV and publication list format and has initiated meetings with other Danish funders to promote greater alignment and recognizability in CV requirements. From 2026, DFF assessors and staff will receive training in identifying and mitigating bias in assessment processes.