Seedcorn research grants allow researchers to replicate previous studies, explore new ideas, run pilot studies for larger grant applications, and collaborate with members from other departments. The grants are mainly (but not exclusively) targeted at junior researchers and serve as career development instruments. The call in 2021 is especially targeted at replications of previous research. We encourage submissions aiming at replicating (influential) studies; these can be direct or conceptual replications. Applicants with projects not focusing on replications are nonetheless invited to apply.

With the seedcorn funding, we wish to promote principles of open science. We hope that the seedcorn grants encourage research that is pre-registered before the study is run and provide other researchers access to the data and materials of the study (e.g. on the Open Science Framework). 

We explicitly welcome studies that involve inter-departmental collaboration. Researchers (including PhD students) from the Departments of Psychology, Management, and Economics can apply for the seedcorn grants. Each seedcorn grant application will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

• The project is aimed at replicating a previous finding
• The project falls, in a broad sense, within the four key topics of the centre: Consumer behaviour, sustainability, behavioural biases and nudging, business ethics
• The quality of the proposed study (validity and reliability of study design and methods; statistical power)
• The project’s potential contribution to practice
• Adherence to principles of open science
• Whether the project includes inter-departmental collaborations
• The seedcorn grant can serve as career development

The centre’s leadership team will decide which projects qualify for funding. If more projects qualify for funding than it is possible to fund, we will apply a lottery scheme (see this inspiring report in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03572-7).

The deadline for the call is November 30, 2021. Applicants will receive notifications about funding before December 21, 2021. To apply for a seedcorn grant, please use the following submission system: https://forms.gle/YnQZSh3UQPXs4iW88 

Your application must include:

• A project title
• A description of the project (max. 250 words) stating the main research question and embedding the project in the existing literature
• The rationale for why the project should receive funding (max. 200 words)
• A description of the study design (max. 250 words)
• A short justification of the sample size of the study (e.g., by a power analysis)
• Amount applied for (max. DKK 25,000)
• A short justification of how the budget will be used (e.g., payment of X number of participants; max. 150 words)
• Confirmation that you adhere to the principles of open science (if possible)
• Confirmation that you will write a short summary (max. 500 words) after the project has been completed
• Confirmation that you will give a short talk at the centre about the project’s main findings

There are no restrictions in terms of the research questions, study design, and methods applied. Projects must be completed and the financial resources spent before 30 November 2022. However, please note that you cannot apply for:

• Your own salary ("frikøb" at AU)
• Other academic salaries (except for student research assistants)
• Dissemination (e.g. publication fees)
• Conference fees and travel costs
• Infrastructure (equipment for more than DKK 10.000)

We look forward to receiving your submissions!