Covid

How we handle changes to research projects in light of the coronavirus pandemic

Corona

Our grant recipients can expect us to take a pragmatic approach and find flexible solutions to any problems that may arise due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This could include cancelled conferences, emergency staffing and restricted access to equipment, laboratories and test facilities. The coronavirus pandemic has a wide range of consequences for Lundbeck Foundation-funded researchers and their projects.

This is a new situation for everyone and, therefore, we want to ensure our grant recipients that we are able to meet the conditions of all payment plans already in place. We are financially robust, and it is our ambition to continue to distribute funds as previously announced. This means that calls which are already open or due to open, as well as other announced activities, will be carried out as planned.

It is also important to us that our grant recipients know that they can count on our flexibility and that we are very sympathetic to any necessary changes to research projects, for instance delays due to the pandemic.

  • If your grant requires submission of the final report to the Lundbeck Foundation by 1 September 2020, the new deadline is 1 October 2020.
  • If you have submitted the final status report for your project, you are welcome to contact us if there are any corona-related changes to the project.
  • With regard to other projects, we would be grateful if you would include the corona-related delays in your next status report together with any other deviations from the funded research plan.

‘Our grant recipients can expect us to take a pragmatic approach – as always – and to seek good, flexible remedies to any problems that may arise. There are many unknowns in a situation like this, and we believe the best solutions are those that are tailored to the individual project. For this reason, we’re not announcing a general postponement of project deadlines, but we’re very open to any requests from researchers who require an extension,’ says Jan Egebjerg, Director of Research at the Lundbeck Foundation.

‘Research is unpredictable, and, more often than not, applicants request extensions to deadlines and ask us to accept failure to meet targets. In our view, the coronavirus pandemic is plausible justification, and we’ll meet such requests with as much flexibility as possible,’ he says.

The way the situation looks at the moment, the Lundbeck Foundation will not provide specific financial compensation. Universities and similar institutions are expected to benefit from the compensation offered by the Danish government and to make use of the options provided by labour law to limit loss of earnings. However, if, for instance, a trip is cancelled, we are willing to explore the option of using the money to cover salary for a period of time.

If the coronavirus pandemic gives rise to any questions about one of our grants, you are welcome to write to us at application@lundbeckfonden.com.

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