What is a Center of Excellence?

Center for Ice-Free Arctic Research (CIFAR) is a Center of Excellence - funded for a 6 years’ period by the Danish National Research Foundation from April 2025 – March 2031.

Centers of Excellence can be established within and across all scientific fields and are expected to engage in pondering some of the large unsolved questions and address the challenges that intrigue them the most. The philosophy is that when excellent people work with problems, they are most passionate about, groundbreaking results will follow. In other words, Danish National Research Foundation welcomes curiosity-driven research or what might be described as exceptional researchers’ “dream projects". Centers are headed by distinguished scientists who have not only shown excellence in their own research but also proven themselves as visionary leaders able to form a creative and dynamic research community. 

Please read more about Centers of Excellence here and about CIFAR’s grant from the Danish National Research Foundation here.