Research funding during COVID-19 inflated gender differences: Systematic analysis of nationwide data from Denmark

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic had profound consequences for the work and careers of researchers worldwide. Junior researchers and women were disproportionately impacted, experiencing more barriers to publishing their work, fewer new projects, and an increase in teaching and administrative obligations. However, there has been little examination of how the pandemic added to potential differences in the resources underpinning research activities and career advancement. We conducted a nationwide analysis of grants awarded during pandemic restrictions in Denmark (March 2020–August 2021). Analyzing over a thousand grants awarded by 14 public and private research funders, we show that funding allocations were significantly skewed towards male and more senior researchers. COVID-specific grants were overwhelmingly awarded to male professors. Grants awarded to women tended to be smaller, and the disparity in grant sizes was pronounced among mid-to-senior grant recipients. Using a data set covering the 12 years pre-pandemic, we show that grant allocations became more unequal relative to previous years, despite a growing proportion of female researchers in Denmark. The results highlight the need to consider imbalances in funding allocations, in terms of gender and career stage during crises. Funding allocations during the pandemic may impact career trajectories and exacerbate the underrepresentation of minority groups in academia.