Fellowship
DARA Open Fellowship Call - Winter 2025/26
The aim of the Open Fellowships is to support outstanding candidates in pursuing curiosity-driven research within areas of the technical, natural, and medical sciences.
The Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) is pleased to announce its Winter 2025/26 Call for “Open” PhD Fellowships.
The aim of the Open Fellowships is to support outstanding candidates in pursuing curiosity-driven research within areas of the technical, natural, and medical sciences.
The premise of the Open Fellowship is to fund projects challenging prevailing assumptions, probing new scientific directions, or pursuing creative hypothesis. An eligible project should encompass a transformative idea with the capacity to spark new directions within fundamental research areas covered by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The Open Fellowships cover salary, tuition fees, and indirect costs. Beyond financial support, DARA provides a dynamic setting that nurtures scientific development. Awardees will join an academy of PhD fellows drawn from Danish research institutions and from a wealth of scientific disciplines, offering relevant educational and networking activities with the ambition of cultivating a community eager to advance scientific progress.
On the 15th of January, from 13-14 CET, DARA hosts an online information meeting about the two calls available in the Winter of 2025/26. You can learn more about the scope of the calls and the application requirements. After the introduction to the calls, it will be possible for attendees to ask questions. You can sign up for the meeting here.
The DARA Open Fellowships Call embraces proposals within fundamental areas of natural, medical, and technical sciences.
Eligible scientific areas include fundamental research across:
- bioscience & biomedicine – molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics, modelling of biological systems, enzymology, genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, experimental physiology, veterinarian medicine, biophysics, biochemistry, biology, biostatistics, etc.
- natural and technical sciences - physics, chemistry, mathematics, nanotechnology, material sciences as well as technical sciences.
- data and computer sciences - development of new algorithms, methods and technologies within data science or computational science, artificial intelligence, statistics, bioinformatics, and other computational sciences, as well as application of data science and computational sciences to areas like life science, biomedical- and health science, public- and global health, infectious disease, sustainability, green transition, agriculture, as well as natural and technical sciences.
- biotechnology - covering areas such as environmental biotechnology, bioproduction, synthetic biology, and bioprocess engineering as well as sustainable and bio-based methods in agriculture, industrial biotechnology and production.
The following non-exhaustive list of research themes are not within the scope of the Open Fellowship call:
- Projects within social sciences or humanities
- Marine and ocean-related research
- Cosmology
- Zoology
- Psychiatry and psychology
- Exclusively clinical focus in e.g. clinical trials
- Urban planning, housing, engineering, and architecture
- Research on livestock and livestock derivatives
- Aquaculture and derived commodities
- Projects with primary focus on the use of data and computer science within finance, insurance, fraud detection, advertisement, commercial analysis, telecommunication, mass surveillance, defence, cyber security, gaming, and similar
- Projects with a retrospective focus or of historical value
- Didactic research in science education and science communication
Applicants may pursue either mono- or interdisciplinary projects. In keeping with DA-RA’s mission, proposals should exhibit transformative potential, whether by opening new scientific frontiers, refining existing paradigms, or leading to tangible benefits for people and society.
The DARA Open PhD Fellowships are open to all qualified candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, nationality, or religion, in keeping with DARA’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive research community and to attract global talent.
Eligibility criteria:
• Applicants must be qualified for admission to a PhD program in Denmark under either the 5+3 model or the 4+4 model. Recent graduates as well as current students are eligible, provided they meet the admission criteria of their enrolling university. Future admission of the applicant is affirmed through a hosting letter from the head of department at the host institution.
• Candidates must have an agreement with a principal supervisor, holding a position of associate professor, professor, or equivalent at a research institution in the Danish Kingdom, including Greenland and Faroe Islands. It is the responsibility of applicants to identify and secure a principal supervisor; DARA does not act as a broker in this process. It is possible to name co-supervisors from the same or other institutions (including international ones). Co-supervisors should only be named in the project description or research environment description, as appropriate.
Important restrictions
The following restrictions apply to the applicant and the principal supervisor.
• Applicants can apply for only one call in each round and with one application only.
• Applicants can submit up to three applications across DARA’s calls in total.
• The fellowship cannot have started their PhD study at the time of applying.
• A supervisor can only act as principal supervisor for one applicant in each round; even if multiple calls are open in the same round. If a principal supervisor supports more than one application, only the first application submitted will be evaluated, while any subsequent applications will receive an administrative rejection.
• Principal supervisor may hold only one active PhD fellowship funded by DARA at any given time. This limitation does not apply to co-supervisors.
The DARA Open PhD Fellowship Winter 2025/26 Call will award nineteen 80%-funded fellowships covering the costs of a PhD program in Denmark. The host institution or the principal supervisor must guarantee that the remaining 20% costs for the applicant are covered.
Each fellowship includes:
• Salary:
Up to 1,260,000 DKK to cover the PhD fellow’s salary for the duration of the PhD appointment (according to standard Danish PhD employment terms). Specific terms depend on the fellow’s host institution and enrolled PhD model.
• Tuition Fee:
Up to 190,000 DKK to cover PhD enrolment fees at the host institution.
• Indirect costs:
For Danish Universities:
Each fellowship includes a project supplement of 600,000 DKK, aligned with the agreement between Danish universities and selected private Danish foundations.
Research institutions not part of the agreement on the project supplement:
- Up to 8,000 per month or a total of 230,000 DKK in bench fee – please note that bench fee cannot cover rent, administrative support, representation, social contributions etc.
- Up to 5% of the total budget for administrative support.
In addition to the financial support, DARA fellows will
- have priority access to the academy’s educational and networking opportunities.
- be paired with an international mentor—an accomplished researcher in a relevant field from outside Denmark.
This structure is designed to ensure that each fellow has both the resources and the professional support required to conduct high-quality research.
All applications must be submitted through the DARA online application portal. Applicants will need to create an account and fill out the online form as well as upload required material. The applicant is expected to play a significant role in the project development and application writing.
Please note that for a proposal to be eligible, it is also mandatory for the principal supervisor to upload documents in the portal upon invitation by the applicant.
Upon submission, the applicant must choose the primary scientific area relevant to the proposal, with the option to indicate one additional secondary area if relevant.
Email or paper submissions are not accepted. Failure to comply with the restrictions given below may result in an administrative rejection.
It is strongly recommended to begin the application process early to account for any technical or documentation issues. After submission, candidates will receive confirmation via email.
If you have questions, you can likely find your answers in our FAQs. We have one for PhD applicants and one for Supervisors. You can find them here:
If the FAQs didn't help, you're welcome to contact the DARA Secretariat for assistance (info@daracademy.dk).
A complete application must include the following documents (in English). Please note all character-limits include spaces!
Provided by the applicant!
Summary of Research (up to 1,500 characters, including spaces)
Provide a concise summary of the proposed PhD project in layman’s terms. Emphasise the central research questions, hypotheses, methods, and potential impact. The abstract should be comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Project Description (up to 12,500 characters, including spaces but excluding figures/tables and references)
The project description should in general describe the novelty and quality of the project and explain how the project aligns with scientific scope of the Open Fellowship Call.
The project description must address the following:
• Scientific background and state-of-the-art
• Research objectives
• Methodology (including any experimental or analytical approaches with mile-stones and deliverables)
Please note that eligible applications will be assessed by international researchers with relevant knowledge but may not necessarily be experts in your given scientific field.
References
List of scientific literature cited in the Project Description.
Illustrations (optional)
It is possible to include a maximum of 3 illustrations with each proposal. Short, descriptive figure legends are allowed as part of the illustrations but should not be used as an extension of the proposal.
Scientific and Potential Societal Impact (up to 1,000 characters, including spaces)
Explain the expected outcomes and the scientific impact in your research field - and where possible, the applications to human and/or planetary health.
Research Environment Description (up to 2,000 characters, including spaces)
Describe the department or research unit where you plan to conduct the project, including a brief account of the environmental exchange if in place at the time of submission. The description should focus on facilities, infrastructure, or collaborations that will support your research, jointly explaining the feasibility of the project.
Motivation Letter (up to 3,000 characters, including spaces)
Describe your aspirations for this exact research, doctoral project, and how the DARA fellowship will contribute to your career development. Also, explain how you will contribute to the DARA community.
CV of the Applicant (up to 5,000 characters, including spaces)
Summarise your academic background, key achievements and relevant skills or training.
The CV must adhere to the following structure:
• Education
o List in what, where and when you got your bachelor and – if graduated – you master’s degree. Include your Grade Point Average (GPA) as well as the maximum possible GPA at your institution, where possible. Also, include the grade of your bachelor and – if applicable – your master’s thesis.
o Mention distinctions achieved during your education.
• Relevant Professional experience
o Any employments of relevance to the proposed research project or your career.
• Skills
o Attained skills relevant to the methodologies in the research project.
• Publications and/or conference abstracts
o If applicable, list your scientific outputs. Clearly state if publications are published, accepted, submitted or in preparation.
• Awards and honours
• Other relevant achievements
Appendices uploaded by the applicant.
Academic Transcripts
Upload official transcripts for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees (or equivalent). Applicants who have not yet completed their master’s degree should provide current transcripts and a note on expected completion from the master’s supervisor, confirming the expected completion date.
Transcripts should preferably include a concise description of the grading standard used and a conversion of grades into the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) grading scale.
Budget
The budget should indicate the amounts applied for in project years. You must use the DARA budget template available for download here.
Hosting Letter
Official letter of endorsement provided by the hosting institute/department and signed by the head of department. The letter should confirm that
• the remaining 20% of fellowship’s costs is guaranteed by the department.
• the candidate is eligible for admission to a PhD study at the host institution.
For non-university research institutions, the letter must also confirm the bench fee policy at the institution.
CV of International Mentor (optional)
If an international mentor has been identified, provide a short CV (max. two pages). The CV will not be considered in the fellowship’s evaluation.
Additional uploads
Applicants have the possibility to include additional uploads but keep this to a minimum and only include concise material pertinent to the evaluation of the candidate. Previous publications, extensions of the project description, and expanded CVs are not allowed and will not be taken into account.
Appendices uploaded by the principal supervisor
Principal supervisor Support Letter
The principal supervisor (associate professor, professor, or equivalent) must provide a letter endorsing the project. This letter should outline the supervisor’s role, available resources, and alignment between the proposed research and the hosting environment. If the project has co-supervisors or is part of a larger research group, these can be mentioned in the principal supervisor’s letter, but it is not mandatory.
The principal supervisor should include the number of currently active PhD students under their supervision.
The letter should remain concise (maximum 2 pages).
Short CV of the principal supervisor
The principal supervisor must upload a short CV (maximum 2 pages). CVs from potential co-supervisors are not required.
We do not accept materials submitted after the closing date.
Application deadline: 20th of February 2026, at 2 pm (CET)
Notification: Expected June 2026.
Earliest start date: 1st of August 2026.
Latest start date: 1st of November 2026. Failure to comply will result in retraction of the fellowship.
The DARA secretariat will assess submitted applications for eligibility with the call. Eligible applications will be assessed by specific fellowship committees, each comprised of international experts, covering DARA’s scientific scope.
Applications are assigned to three international experts, possessing relevant knowledge. You can find an overview of committee members and the evaluation process in DARA here (link).
Reviewers are selected to provide balanced coverage of the scientific disciplines reflected in the proposal. Reviewers assess the proposals independently, focusing on the main criteria described below. There is no interview stage; the assessment relies entirely on the written application. Consequently, it is vital that each submission be as clear and comprehensive as possible.
Criteria for Assessment
Each application is evaluated based on two criteria:
Excellence of the Candidate – weighed 33%
• Assessment of academic achievements and prior training.
• Where applicable, publication record, conference presentations, awards, or other evidence of research potential.
• Alignment of background and skill set with the proposed research.
Quality, Novelty, Feasibility, and Impact of the Research Project – weighed 67%
• Alignment with the scope, including an assessment of the transformative potential of the research question/hypothesis.
• Originality and innovativeness of the approach, methodology, or proposed solutions.
• Adequacy of the project design, work plan, and timeline.
• Suitability of the host institution’s facilities, resources, and infrastructure.
• Strength of the research environment, including the principal supervisor’s expertise.
• Likelihood of generating new knowledge or impact within the given scientific field and/or societally on human and planetary health.
Applicants are informed of decisions by email within the indicated timeframe. All decisions by DARA are final. Successful applicants will be invited to accept the fellowship offer and coordinate enrolment with their host institution. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a brief notification of the outcome.
Further material on the evaluation procedure:
Checklist for administrative rejection
Reviewer Guidelines Winter 2025/26 calls
Candidates who are awarded a DARA Open PhD Fellowship will join the academy as DARA PhD Fellows are expected to actively engage with the DARA community and opportunities.
Key conditions and expectations include
Fellowship and Employment
• Fellows will be employed as PhD students at their host university under the usual terms of that institution (including responsibilities such as teaching duties if required by the local PhD school). Fellows and supervisors must ensure timely enrolment in the PhD program and compliance with any university-specific requirements through-out the fellowship. Also, the PhD project must be conducted in agreement with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme from the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
• The fellowship can only be used by the candidate and for the project described in the application. Double funding is not permitted, and should the candidate receive additional funding covering the same costs as the DARA fellowship, DARA reserves the right to revoke the fellowship.
• Fellows are expected to be enrolled and begin their PhD projects between 1st of August 2026 and 1st of November 2026, unless otherwise agreed with DARA prior to submission of the application.
DARA community
• Fellows and supervisors are obliged to participate in DARA’s flagship events and core activities. These prime events will include an annual DARA symposium and major workshops that bring together all DARA fellows and supervisors. Attendance at these events is central to networking, training, and building the interdisciplinary community that DARA strives for. Specific dates and details of these events will be provided to awardees well in advance.
• In addition to the major events, DARA will offer a variety of training courses, seminars, and networking activities throughout the year (e.g. specialised technical work-shops, career development seminars, social networking meetups, etc.). Participation in these minor or supplementary activities is optional – fellows are encouraged but not required to attend.
• Fellows may suggest preferred mentors in the application (as noted above), but final arrangements will be made by DARA in consultation with the fellow and supervisor. If an applicant is successful and has named a potential mentor, DARA will consider those individuals. If no specific mentor is suggested, or if the suggested mentors are unavailable, DARA will assist in appointing a suitable mentor from its global network of experts.
• Fellows will become members of the DARA community and are expected to uphold the academy’s standards of research integrity, collaboration, and professionalism. A code of conduct and fellowship agreement outlining detailed terms will be provided upon award.
By accepting the fellowship, the fellow and the main supervisor agree to fulfil the above conditions. DARA’s aim is to provide a supportive, enriching framework; compliance with the core participation expectations helps maximise the benefits for both the fellows and the broader DARA community.
We encourage motivated candidates to apply for these fellowships and become part of DARA’s cohort of PhD students. This as a unique opportunity to join a vibrant academic community dedicated to excellence and innovation across scientific disciplines. We look forward to receiving your application and wish you the best of luck in the selection process.
Danish Advanced
Research Academy
Campusvej 55, 5230
Odense M, Denmark
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