Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) Open Fellowship Call – Summer 2025 (Fully Funded)

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About Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) Open Fellowship Call – Summer

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.

• Sponsor Organisation: Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA)

Benefits of Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) Open Fellowship Call – Summer

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.

Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) Open Fellowship Call – Summer Requirements

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 institution 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.

Application Date and Process

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 development.

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 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, but the main supervisor’s letter is mandatory.) The letter should confirm the candidate’s current or future eligibility for a PhD at the host institution. The principal supervisor should include the number of active PhD students supervised by the principal supervisor currently. While there is no character limit, the letter should remain concise (maximum 2 pages).

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 collaborations that will support your research.

Apply Here

If you have questions, contact the DARA Secretariat for assistance ([email protected]).

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Application Deadline

29 August, 2025

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