Grants for research stays at leading, international universities

 How do military organisations learn from their field experiences?

Why do some entrepreneurs succeed in starting their own businesses, while others do not take the final step?

These are questions which Olivier Schmitt, associate professor at the Centre for War Studies, and Kim Klyver, professor at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Relationship Management will examine. The researchers from The University of Southern Denmark receive a share of the funds for international research stays which The Danish Council for Independent Research | Social Sciences has recently awarded to promote the internationalisation of Danish research.

Olivier Schmitt will spend his research stay at New York University (NYU), while Kim Klyver’s research stay will be at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

Learning from military experiences in Afghanistan  
Olivier Schmitt, associate professor at the Center for War Studies receives DKK 305,333 for the project "Learning from Afghanistan".

Project description: Military organisations always seek to improve their ability to achieve their main objective, namely exercising war. The actual war experiences, however, are often completely different from what the organisations had prepared for, thereby forcing the troops to constantly change their practices in the field. During a five-month stay at central military research institutions in the United States, the project will therefore shed light on how military organisations learn from their field experiences. The project takes its point of departure in Afghanistan and has a special focus on the organisations' strategic knowledge, which is divided into three categories: military doctrines, cooperation with allies and field cooperation with civil organisations (NGOs). The United States is a key player in the Afghanistan operation and the most powerful member of NATO in terms of military capabilities. The collection of data on the U.S. military's experiences is therefore crucial for understanding Western military organisations' development and reorganisation, because they often resemble the American model.

Entrepreneurs' Startup Process
Kim Klyver, professor at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Relationship Management is awarded DKK 131,904 for the project "Entrepreneurs' Startup Process: A Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics ".

Project description: The startup of new companies is crucial for the socio-economic development. Especially in times after an economic recession like the one that hit Denmark as a consequence of the financial crisis in 2008, entrepreneurs are critical to getting the economic wheels turning again. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand this startup process, its many aspects and its success factors, so we can provide conditions that promote people's desire and ability to start businesses. In Denmark, approximately 30,000 companies are started annually. However, far more Danes consider starting a business, but do not take the final step. We know very little about why some fail to take this final step, while others actually start up a business. This is the primary focus of the research project. After having followed 800 budding entrepreneurs over a 4-year period and having them answer five systematic questionnaires, the project examines why some succeed in starting a business, while others do not. There is a special focus on the importance of the dynamics of entrepreneurs’ social networks and their decision-making processes.

The Danish Council for Independent Research | Social Sciences has awarded a total of DKK 1.1 million to six research projects abroad.

Facts
The grants from The Danish Council for Independent Research are awarded to research stays abroad of more than three months.

The research stay takes its point of departure in concrete research activities which are strengthened by international cooperation, networks or data collection.

 See all grant recipients on the Council's website.