Application Deadline: 29th of August, 2025, at 2 pm (CEST)
Applications are now open for the 2025 Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) 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.
Eligibility
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.
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.
Fellowship Benefits
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.
- 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.
Application Timeline:
- 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, 2026.
- 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.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) Open PhD Fellowships
