Since 2017, the Villum Foundation has awarded funding through the Villum Experiment program for research experiments at Danish universities. With high-risk-tolerant funding and an anonymous selection process, the aim of Villum Experiment is to sharpen the focus on bold and groundbreaking research ideas and to allow researchers to think freely, independent of their previous merits.
The Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy at Aarhus University is conducting a research project that has tracked the Villum Experiment program. In addition to examining the program’s objectives, the project explores whether the anonymous application process affects who receives funding – for instance, whether there is gender bias, and whether grant recipients differ from what one would typically expect in a traditional peer-review system.
At this mini-seminar, Anders Smith, Head of programme at the Villum Foundation, and Carter Walter Bloch, Centre Director and Professor at the Department of Political Science – Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy, will share experiences and insights from Villum Experiment. Carter Walter Bloch will present the latest findings from the associated research project. His talk will focus on how the double-blinded review process in the Villum Experiment has influenced success rates across different groups of applicants and how funded researchers perceive risk and risk-taking in their research.
There will also be room for discussion on how this new knowledge may impact future research, for example in relation to CoARA.
Kindly note that the seminar will take place in person only and cannot be attended online.
Morning coffee/tea and a light lunch will be served.
The seminar will be held in English.

Programme:
10::00 Welcome
10:00-10:45 Anders Smith Head of programme, Villum Foundation:
“An introduction to the Villum Experiment programme and its background”

11:00–11:45 Carter Walter Bloch, Centre Director, Professor, Department of Political science - Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy
“Findings from the study on the Villum Experiment Programme: how the double-blinded review process has influenced success rates and how funded researchers perceive risk and risk-taking in their research.

12:00-12:30 Lunch

12:30-13:00 DARMA reflections and afterthought

13:00 Thanks and goodbye

13:00- ca 14:00 DARMA SIG working group meeting