The OpEn Fund has its own distinct grant assessment structure. There is a clear division between OpEn’s two main functions: Assessing applications; and advisory services, training, and administration of the fund. CISU is responsible for managing the fund itself. The separation of roles ensures that CISU’s advisory function is not in conflict with its role as granting authority.
The grant system consists of a Grant Assessment Committee and a group of grant assessment consultants. The consultants carry out the technical and administrative assessments of applications and prepare a recommendation for the Grant Assessment Committee, which makes the final decision.
The consultants are part-time employees at CISU but are not part of CISU’s secretariat. This ensures a complete separation between the grant-making decisions and CISU’s advisory and administrative functions.
Please note that you cannot contact the members of the Grant Assessment Committee or the grant consultants directly.
Grant Assessment Committee
The Grant Assessment Committee is responsible for making final decisions on applications to the OpEn Fund, based on the relevant assessment criteria. The committee also contributes to professional discussions to ensure alignment between CISU’s grant practices and the fund’s guidelines.
In addition, the committee helps develop and refine the fund’s grant practices and guidelines.
The committee makes its decisions based on the recommendations prepared by the grant consultants. Applicants receive their responses directly from the Grant Assessment Committee.
Members of the Grant Assessment Committee
Members of the Grant Assessment Committee are appointed through an open call. Each member is appointed for two years and may be reappointed once.
The committee brings together a broad range of expertise and has extensive experience in terms of public information and civic engagement on global development. The current members are:
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Karen Qvist Rørsted
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Mai Rasmussen
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Bo Karlsen
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Lene Vendelbo
Grant Assessment Consultants
CISU has appointed part-time consultants who are responsible for carrying out the technical and administrative assessments of applications to the OpEn Fund. They then prepare a recommendation for the Grant Assessment Committee, which makes the final decision.
The consultants handle the entire administrative process for each application. If additional information is needed to complete the assessment, the consultants will contact the applicant directly.
OpEn Grant Assessment Consultants
The consultants are part-time employees at CISU, and three consultants are currently affiliated with the OpEn Fund:
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Katarina Siig Søderberg
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Maja Helena Riis
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Maria Molde