See who received this year's Inge Lehmann grants

Independent Research Fund Denmark has just awarded this year's grants in the Inge Lehmann Programme. At SDU, three talented researchers have each been awarded a grant to pursue their own research ideas and develop their potential as independent heads of research. The three SDU researchers will receive approximately DKK 3.5 million each.

The funds awarded by the Inge Lehmann Programme are targeted at early-career researchers and the Programme is part of the political agreement on the allocation of the research reserve in 2025.

Read more about the researchers' projects

Associate Professor Sofie Marie Koksbang, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy

Unlocking the Power of Cosmography: A New Test of Our Cosmological Paradigm

In cosmology, we are searching for the answers to some of humanity's biggest questions: What does the universe contain and how is it behaving right now? How did the universe come into being and will it always exist or will it disappear again one day?  

According to our best theories, only 5% of the universe is made up of the kind of matter we know: the particles that make up planets, stars, galaxies and more.  The remaining 95% is still a mystery. However, we know enough to divide it into two enigmatic components: dark matter and dark energy. We assume that dark matter consists of unknown particles, whereas dark energy is even more mysterious. Figuring out the nature of dark energy is considered one of the biggest challenges in modern cosmology.

Most of the knowledge we have about the universe comes from light emitted from distant stars and galaxies which has travelled through space to our telescopes. If we want to learn more about dark energy, we need to develop new ways to analyse and combine these observations. In this project, we will take an important step in that direction and investigate the properties of dark energy.

Assistant Professor Kaitlin Rachael Alper, Department of Political Science and Public Management

Political Speech: Regional Languages and Political Attitudes (LANGPOL)

Even in democratic states, many citizens feel that their language and culture are threatened by state demands for uniformity – this is true in regions such as Catalonia, Quebec and Corsica. For them, language is not just a means of communication – it is closely linked to political trust, identity and the struggle for self-determination.

Nevertheless, we know very little about what it really means for people's political attitudes and behaviour when they choose to use their regional language in their everyday lives. LANGPOL will investigate how speaking a regional language affects people's political views, such as their trust in democratic institutions, their support for secession or regionalist parties.

The project will use experimental surveys and also focus group interviews in five regions in Europe and North America in which both a regional and a national language are spoken. By combining insights from psychology, linguistics and political science, LANGPOL will investigate both the psychological effects of speaking a particular language and the social processes through which political attitudes are formed in conversations and communities.

Assistant Professor Maria Ormhøj, Department of Green Technology

Reprogramming cancer cell death immunogenicity by next generation CAR T-cell therapy

This project aims to improve survival for patients with advanced colorectal cancer and other cancers that still lack good treatment options.

One promising form of immunotherapy involves taking a patient's own immune cells (T-cells), genetically modifying them to recognise and attack cancer cells, and then introducing them back into the body. This method has been successful for certain blood cancers but has unfortunately proven to be less effective for solid tumours like colon cancer. Reasons for this include that not all cancer cells have the same characteristics (antigens) and the cancer's environment can inhibit the immune system.

Current T-cell therapies typically kill cancer cells through a form of cell death that does not attract much attention from the immune system. In this project, I will develop a new strategy where the T-cells not only kill the cancer cells but also cause them to die in a way that awakens the immune system and triggers a broader immune response against the cancer. In this way, I hope be able to solve the problem that not all cancer cells are the same and to create a more effective and long-lasting treatment.

Facts: Briefly about the Inge Lehmann Programme

Independent Research Fund Denmark has received a total of 206 applications, and nearly DKK 80 million has been awarded. All research projects must be led by women.

The funds have been distributed across 23 projects and the success rate is 11.2% based on the number of applications.

The Inge Lehmann Programme is open to all subject areas and to both men and women, but through dispensation under section 3 of the Equality Act, Independent Research Fund Denmark will generally choose female applicants over male applicants in the event of equal qualifications between two applicants; however, it is ensured that an objective assessment is made which includes consideration of all special criteria regarding the applicants, regardless of gender.

Learn more about this year's grants.