Funding opportunities by career stage

Opportunities by career stage

Whether you are at the beginning of your research career or have many years of experience, there are various funding opportunities that match your career stage.

Where are you in your career?

PhD 🎓

A PhD project requires funding for salary, project expenses, tuition fees, conferences, and research stays.

Here are your main options – and how to approach them:

Apply for faculty scholarships
The Graduate School of Health regularly announces calls where you can apply for full funding.
See current calls here
Join a larger research project
Explore whether you can become part of existing projects that already have secured funding. Contact relevant senior researchers and propose a collaboration.
Consider an industrial PhD
An industrial PhD can be carried out in collaboration with either a public institution or a private company.
Contact potential partners and Read more about the Industrial PhD program at Innovation Fund Denmark.
Apply for regional funding
Get an overview of the region's main research funds and programs that support projects with health-related relevance.
Combine funding from multiple sources
Many PhD projects are financed through a combination of smaller grants. Create a plan outlining which funds you will apply to – and when.
Use funding databases actively
Find relevant funds and deadlines in the Pivot RP database – a valuable source for both national and international opportunities.

Postdoc 🔬

The following opportunities are offered regularly, where you can apply as the main applicant.

Be aware that many of these opportunities require mobility between research environments.

International mobility fellowships:

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
DFF–International Postdoc
Internationalisation Postdocs – Carlsberg Foundation
Lundbeck Postdoc
Postdoc Fellowship for Research Abroad – Bioscience and Basic Biomedicine (Novo Nordisk Foundation)
Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University of Oxford (Novo Nordisk Foundation)
Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Weizmann Institute of Science (Novo Nordisk Foundation)
Visiting Scholar and Postdoctoral Fellowships at Stanford Bio-X Institute (Novo Nordisk Foundation)

Danish funds and research programmes:

Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy – Postdoctoral Fellowships
Knæk Cancer Funds – Young Talented Cancer Researchers Grants
Postdoc Fellowships in Nursing Research

Industrial and applied postdocs in the public and private sector:

Industrial Postdoc in the Private Sector (Thematic and Mission Funds)
Industrial Postdoctoral Grants – Public Sector

In addition to the opportunities mentioned above, there are also patient associations, professional organisations, and smaller private foundations that support postdoctoral research.

You may also apply for a postdoc position as part of a larger project with another main applicant.

Find more relevant funding opportunities in the Pivot RP database

Starting grants – Building a research group 👥

A starting grant is a research funding instrument aimed at early-career researchers who have recently completed their PhD and are in the process of establishing their own independent research program or group.

It provides financial support to develop innovative projects, build a team, and achieve scientific independence.

Be aware that different funding schemes have varying requirements regarding PhD age.

Examples include: