The fast track instruments must be used for support of free research ideas and hypotheses and for establishment of pilot projects, which can form basis for large external research applications later on.
Thus, the fast track instruments must be a test track for new interdisciplinary research collaborations at SDU, which supports SCC's mission of contributing to climate neutrality by 2050. The applicant team must consist of researchers from minimum two different faculties.
A total of 9 MDKK has been allocated for the instruments, which corresponds to 90 fast track projects. The instruments will be distributed at biannual application rounds.
The instruments may be used for co-financing in collaborative projects with external partners but must go to the SDU part. The instruments cannot finance buy-out of assistant, associate and full professors, but there are no additional limitations of the use of the instruments.
Application process
There are two annual application rounds, where the deadlines are 1 April and 1 November. The applications must be written in English and comply with the requirements specified in the application template. All applications for the fast track instruments must be sent to SDU Climate Cluster (SCC) by e-mail to scc@sdu.dk. Please write “Fast track application” in the subject field. We will acknowledge receipt of the application.
If the majority of the applications in an application round comes from the same few faculties, the SCC secretariat will enter into dialogue with SDU’s deans about this issue. Furthermore, SCC will hold back distribution of instruments in the application round in question, so that the instruments are not allocated to the same faculties without a further dialogue.
Evaluation criteria
The fast track projects will be evaluated based on the following two criteria (listed in order of priority):
- Impact: Evaluation of the impact potential of the project according to SCC’s mission of contributing to climate neutrality by 2050
- Scaling and potential for the subsequent research process: Evaluation of the growth potential of the research idea
Applications for fast track projects that already contain co-financing do not have preference to the instruments. They are evaluated on the same terms as other applications.
We will not allocate a fixed number of fast track instruments per application round. The grants depend on the quality and potential of the applications. However, SCC aims at distributing instruments for approx. ten fast track projects per application round. Therefore, as a rule the instruments will be available up to and including 2026.
Allocation of instruments
Decisions on rejections and approvals will be given in writing. The applicants are welcome to resend the application in the next application round.
An approval will be followed up by an orientation meeting regarding formalities about finances, reporting and cooperation with the SDU Climate Cluster.
Reporting
At the termination of the fast track report, no later than a year after receipt of the instruments, a brief evaluation (approx. 1 page) must be worked out repeating the project idea and describing the results of the project, publications, if any, presentations and how to proceed with the results of the project and the continued financing of it.
Cooperation with SCC
SCC will prepare a brief project description for all fast track projects. The project description and contact information on the project managers will be published on SCC’s website. During the project period of the fast track project, the SCC secretariat will have a dialogue with the project team about potential communicative activities.
The applicant team for the fast track project must share knowledge about the project in a SCC context by the termination of the project e.g. an article, podcast, SCC event or as part of another interdisciplinary SDU knowledge sharing/idea development. This part can be discussed with the SCC secretariat.