The European Research Council and the Innovation Fund Denmark may not be the right choice for everyone, but don't dismiss them out of hand, says the Vice-dean for Research Hans Erik Bøtker. He is the man behind a new self-assessment, where researchers at Health– and managers – can check individual potential.

2021.04.08 | Nanna Jespersgård

We have developed four tailor-made versions of a self-assessment that the researcher can take in just a few minutes, says Hans Erik Bøtker, who will appreciate any kind of feedback from researchers who give it a try. Photo: AU Photo.

Have you held a presentation at an international conference? Been employed somewhere else than AU? Or do you have a project that creates measurable social or monetary value? And an investor who is willing to invest time and money in your innovation?

The path to clarity is paved with the right questions. So Health has therefore both collected them in one place and tried to present the information in a manageable way for the benefit of researchers who dream of the exclusive grants from either ERC – the European Research Council, or the Innovation Fund Denmark.

Both foundations are on Health's list of strategic focus areas, and both require something out of the ordinary from applicants – and this is also the background for Health’s experiment with a new type of help to self-help, explains Vice-dean for Research, Hans Erik Bøtker.

Green light needed from the department management team before applying

"In practice, we’ve developed four tailor-made versions of a self-assessment that the researcher can take in just a few minutes, and which our department management team can look at when discussing internally which researchers should be encouraged to apply to the ERC and the Innovation Fund Denmark," he says.

Hans Erik Bøtker stresses that the procedure can easily start with the individual researcher checking their own potential and then contacting their department management team.

"It would be unwise to close the door in advance just because you haven’t been contacted by someone from the management. A self-assessment cannot in itself guarantee that the management and the Research Support Office will back your application, but the assessment can be a good place to start," says Hans Erik Bøtker of the four self-assessments, which have e.g. been tested and quality assured by Health's Research Committee, which itself includes all five deputy heads of department for research.

Four self-assessments – ready to go

"There is agreement in the research committee that the faculty lacks clarification material that is manageable and accessible for busy people like researchers. We hope to help alleviate this in what is for us a slightly unconventional way, and we hope that the researchers will welcome it," he says.

Practically, the initial four self-assessments will be available on the departments' internal websites – and that work has already began. At the moment, the forms can be tested in a pilot version on the Department of Clinical Medicine's website Improving your grant applications. The four forms can also be accessed via the links below (English versions will follow asap):

• Check whether you are ready to apply for the ERC Starting Grant
• Check whether you are ready to apply for the ERC Consolidator Grant
• Check whether you are ready to apply to the Innovation Fund Denmark
• Check your application to the Innovation Fund Denmark

"As can be seen from the test material, the Innovation Fund Denmark in particular is organised in a radically differently way than the foundations we typically apply to. Very few Health researchers are familiar with thinking in business concepts, so we want to confront applicants with this as early as possible in the process. In fact, already in the idea phase," says Hans Erik Bøtker.

We are trying it out – so give us feedback

He asks that researchers who take the self-assessment in the coming time also take note of anything they find puzzling or think is lacking. They are then very welcome to send comments and suggestions via email either to him directly or to Henry Andreasen in the Dean's Office.

“Don’t hesitate to contact us. This is new and uncertain ground for us, and we could otherwise simply encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the relevant foundation websites – as we normally do. But we’ve not made much progress with that so far, so now we want to try something new after the motto 'better to try and fail than not try at all', and it could be that this works," says Hans Erik Bøtker.

Contact

Vice-dean for Research Hans Erik Bøtker
The Dean’s Office, Health
Email: boetker@au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 4029 3389

Adviser Henry Andreasen
Administrative Centre Health, The Dean’s Office
Email: ha@au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 2033 8578