New nationalism in university policy, methods of finding clean groundwater and the economy of the Roman Empire over many centuries. These are some of the areas that the seven new Sapere Aude research directors at Aarhus University will be exploring in the future. 

Sapere Aude research director grants are awarded to projects that are expected to renew Danish research and establish a foundation for future centres of excellence and research breakthroughs. This is what David Dreyer Lassen, chair of the board of directors of the Independent Research Fund Denmark said in connection with the appointments.

"Sapere Aude gives young, talented researchers the opportunity to conduct research into what they are passionate about. This provides for a strong research hub, with research directors who think in new ways and organise the production of new knowledge,” says David Dreyer Lassen.    

36 researchers in Denmark have been awarded Sapere Aude research director grants totalling DKK 220 million.

The seven AU researchers

• Associate professor Denys James Grombacher, Department of Geoscience 
  
  
• Assistant Professor Peter Alexander Scholl, Department of Computer Science  
  
  
• Associate professor  Claudia Strauch, Department of Mathematics  
  
  Read about the researchers (in Danish): Tre nye Sapere Aude forskningsledere på NAT
  
  
• Associate professor Katja Brøgger, Danish School of Education  
  
  
• Associate professor  Søren Smedegaard Ernst Bengtsen, Danish School of Education 
  
  
• Associate professor  Tom Brughmans, School of Culture and Society  
  
  Read about Tom Brughmans (Danish): Drevet af en trang til at udforske
   
• Associate professor Kristina Bakkær Simonsen, Department of Political Science 
  
  Read about (in Danish): Sapere Aude-bevilling til Kristina Bakkær Simonsen

The text is based on a press release from Independent Research Fund Denmark.