Fellowship
DARA Open Fellowship Call – Summer 2025
With the Open Fellowships, DARA wishes to support pioneering projects with transformative potential that pursue unconventional hypotheses, challenge prevailing assumptions, or reform methodologies/technologies.
The Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) is pleased to announce its Summer 2025 Call for “Open” PhD Fellowships.
With its Open Fellowships, DARA aims to support exceptional candidates in pursuing curiosity-driven research within the technical, natural, and medical sciences.
Whether examining fundamental scientific questions, probing creative hypotheses, developing novel methodologies, or translating insights into societal benefit, an eligible project should embody a visionary and transformative premise with the capacity to spark new directions in research.
The fully funded Open Fellowships cover salary, tuition fees, and project supplement. 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.
The DARA Open Fellowships Call embraces all proposals within natural, medical, and technical sciences, committed to advancing scientific knowledge in fields that are central to improving public health and promoting sustainability.
There are no predefined thematic preferences in the Open Fellowships Call.
Eligible scientific areas include fundamental and applied research across:
- bioscience & biomedicine - ranging from molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology to translational research areas such as disease diagnostics, nutritional sciences, therapeutics, and clinical innovations.
- natural and technical sciences - e.g. physics, chemistry, and mathematics, as well as technical sciences like engineering, mechanical sciences, robotics, and nano-technology.
- data and computer sciences - spanning theoretical computer science, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, as well as broader digital technologies such as cybersecurity, software engineering, and human-computer interaction.
- biotechnology - covering areas such as biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, and bioprocess engineering as well as sustainable and bio-based methods in agriculture and industrial production.
Applicants may pursue either mono- or interdisciplinary projects. In keeping with DARA’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.
• Candidates must have an agreement with a principal supervisor, holding a position of associate professor, professor, or equivalent at a research institu-tion in the Danish Kingdom, including Greenland and Faroe Islands. It is possible to include co-supervisors from the same or other institutions (including international ones).
• Principal supervisor can at any point only have one active PhD fellowship covered by DARA. This limitation does not apply to co-supervisors.
The DARA Open PhD Fellowship Summer 2025 Call will award 9 fully funded fellowships covering the complete costs of a PhD program in Denmark. Each fellowship includes:
• Salary: Up to 1,575,000 DKK to cover the PhD fellow’s salary for the entire 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.
• Project Supplement: Each fellowship includes a project supplement of 750,000 DKK, aligned with the standard agreement between Danish universities and leading private foundations in Denmark.
• Tuition Fee: Up to 240,000 DKK to cover PhD enrollment fees at the host institution, in line with the Danish PhD financing structure.
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 with radical potential.
All applications must be submitted through the dedicated DARA online application portal. Applicants will need to create an account and fill out the online form, uploading all required documents. Upon submission, the applicant must choose the scientific area(s) relevant to the proposal. For projects spanning areas, it is possible to select more than one.
Email or paper submissions are not accepted. 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. Only one application per candidate is allowed in this call.
If you have questions, contact the DARA Secretariat for assistance (info@daracademy.dk).
Required Application Materials:
A complete application must include the following documents (in English):
Summary of Research (up to 1,500 characters)
Provide a concise summary of the proposed PhD project. Emphasize the central research questions, hypotheses, methods, and potential impact. Avoid technical jargon where possible; the abstract should be comprehensible to a non-expert audience.
Project Description (up to 7,500 characters, excluding figures/tables and references)
Outline the scientific background, research objectives, methodology (including any experimental or analytical approaches), and expected outcomes. Highlight how the project addresses a transformative hypothesis, explain how the project aligns with scientific scope of the Open Fellowship Call, and indicate any interdisciplinary aspects if relevant. References will be submitted separately and will not count against the character limit.
References
List of references used in the Project Description.
Illustrations (optional)
A maximum of 3 illustrations is allowed with each proposal.
Motivation Letter (up to 3,000 characters)
Explain your personal motivation for pursuing this PhD research within DARA’s framework. Describe relevant academic or professional experiences, your aspirations for the doctoral project, and how the fellowship will contribute to your career develop-ment.
CV of the Applicant (up to 5,000 characters)
Summarize your academic background, key achievements (e.g., awards, publications, conference presentations), and relevant skills or training. Include any teaching or project management experience that may strengthen your PhD candidacy.
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.
Supervisor Support Letter and CV
The main supervisor (associate professor, professor, or equivalent) must provide a letter endorsing the project and confirming the host institution’s support. This letter should outline the supervisor’s role, available re-sources, 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, but the main supervisor’s letter is mandatory.) There is no fixed character limit for this letter, but it should remain concise. The principal supervisor should include the number of active PhD students supervised by the principal supervisor currently.
Also, provide the CV of the main supervisor (maximum 2 pages).
CV of International Mentor (optional)
If an international mentor has been identified, prove a short CV (max. two pages). The CV will not weigh in on the evaluation of the fellowship
Research Environment Description (Optional, up to 2,500 characters)
If not included in the supervisor letter, briefly describe the department or research unit where you plan to conduct the project, focusing on facilities, infrastructure, or collabo-rations that will support your research.
The call closes the 29th of August, 2025, at 2 pm (CEST)
Applicants will be notified in December, 2025.
The earliest possible start date is the 1st of February, 2025.
Latest start date: 15th of June, 2026 (with flexibility as needed to accommodate university enrollment schedules). Failure to comply will result in retraction of the fellowship.
All submitted applications will undergo a single-step, merit-based evaluation. Applications will be assessed by specific fellowship committees, each comprised of international experts, jointly spanning the scientific scope of DARA. Applications crossing scientific disciplines will be evaluated by experts from relevant committees.
Applications are assigned to two or more international experts, each possessing domain-relevant expertise.
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.
Ineligible or incomplete applications will be administratively declined and do not proceed to scientific review.
Criteria for Assessment
Each application is evaluated holistically, with particular attention to:
Excellence of the Candidate
• Assessment of the academic achievements and prior training, including demonstrated capacity for independent scholarship.
• In scientific areas where applicable, publication record, conference presentations, awards, or other evidence of research potential will be taken into ac-count.
• Alignment of background and skill set with the proposed research.
Quality and Novelty of the Research Proposal
• Clarity and rigor of the research question/hypothesis, including its transformative potential.
• Originality and innovativeness of approach, methodology, or proposed solutions.
• Adequacy of project design, work plan, and timeline, including feasibility within a PhD timeframe.
Feasibility and Research Environment
• Suitability of the host institution’s facilities, resources, and infrastructure.
• Strength of the research environment, including the principal supervisor’s expertise and mentorship record.
• Project’s access to necessary collaboration or technical support.
Potential Scientific and Societal Impact
• Likelihood of generating new knowledge or impacting wider research com-munities.
• Prospects for contributing to technological developments, health outcomes, or sustainability initiatives, depending on the project’s domain.
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 fellow-ship offer and coordinate enrollment with their host institution. Unsuccessful applicants will receive a brief notification of the outcome. Due to the expected high volume of applications, DARA may not provide extensive individualized feedback.
Candidates who are awarded a DARA Open PhD Fellowship will join the academy as DARA PhD Fellows and 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 du-ties if required by the local PhD school). Fellows and supervisors must en-sure timely enrollment in the PhD program and compliance with any university-specific requirements throughout the fellowship. Also, the PhD project must be conducted in agreement with The Ministerial Order on the PhD pro-gramme from the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
• The fellowship can only be used for the candidate and the project described in the application. Double funding is not allowed, and should the candidate receive grant covering the same costs as the DARA fellowship, DARA re-serves the right the revoke the fellowship.
• Fellows are expected to be enrolled and begin their PhD projects earliest 1st of February, 2026 and latest 15th of June, 2026, unless an agreement with DARA is in place. Failure to comply will result in retraction of the Fellowship.
DARA community
• Fellows are strongly encouraged to participate in DARA’s flagship events and core activities. These prime events will include an annual DARA symposium and major workshops that seek to gather 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. specialized technical workshops, 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 during 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 fulfill the above conditions. DARA’s aim is to provide a supportive, enriching framework – compliance with the core participation expectations helps maximize the benefits for both the fellows and the broader DARA community.
Danish Advanced
Research Academy
Campusvej 55, 5230
Odense M, Denmark
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