The LEO Foundation enters new agreement between Danish universities and foundations

3 November 2023

Universities Denmark and six private research funding foundations, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Villum Foundation, Carlsberg Foundation, Velux Foundation, Lundbeck Foundation, and LEO Foundation, have entered into an agreement that enhances transparency regarding the foundations’ support to research at Danish universities and defines a clear financial distribution key between universities and foundations regarding coverage of indirect costs. 

The Danish universities and the research funding foundations aim to provide clarity regarding the financing of Danish research and to support the research diversity at the universities. It is with this in mind that the parties have now agreed to introduce a model for covering indirect expenses associated with grants from the private foundations to the Danish universities, including what these expenses – often referred to as “overhead expenses” – entail and how they are allocated. 

”In the LEO Foundation, we are pleased with the agreement that has been reached, which creates transparency regarding the coverage of the costs associated with foundation grants for research at Danish universities. We look forward to continuing the constructive dialogue on how foundations and universities can ensure the best possible conditions for foundation-funded researchers and their projects, and for the universities where the projects are anchored,” says Anne-Marie Engel, Chief Scientific Officer at the LEO Foundation. 

Learn more about the agreement and read the press release here: