Villum International Postdoc Programme supports excellent female scientists in the technical and natural sciences wishing to pursue a university career.
Female scientists in university career positions (assistant, associate and full professor) are underrepresented. To increase the number of female scientists in such positions, Villum Fonden has decided to earmark this programme for women in science.
The programme provides the opportunity to initiate an independent research profile and harvest a substantial international experience at the highest academic level. The programme is aimed at female scientists with a Danish PhD degree and a aspiration to pursue a university career.
It is a requirement that applicants plan a research stay abroad and a return to a Danish research institution. The Danish host institution must actively encourage the application and support the applicant in securing their return to Denmark.
Female scientist:
Home institution:
International stay:
We do not support
Health or veterinary research, i.e. research focused on the health of humans and animals, including nutrition, medicine, biomedicine, pharmacology and research within diagnostics and methods for examination and treatment.
Furthermore, applicants affiliated with departments whose main scientific focus is within these areas (including university health departments, hospitals, the Danish Cancer Society, DTU Health Tech and SDU Health Informatics and Technology) are not eligible to apply and will receive an administrative rejection.
We invite the natural and technical science faculties at the Danish universities to recommend one or two eligible top talented female scientists to apply. We only accept applications recommended by the universities.
Technical University of Denmark, University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University are invited to recommend two applications each.
Aalborg University, University of Southern Denmark, IT University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University are invited to recommend one application each.
It is the responsibility of the female applicant to submit the application to the foundation accompanied by appropriate support letters from the department and faculty.
The grant amount which can be applied for is DKK 1-2.5 million.
The nominal time frame is three years, including an international stay of preferably two years, and a return to a Danish research institution of about one year.
An amount of DKK 15 million is allocated to the call in 2024.
VILLUM FONDEN additionally provides funds for family support based on an individual assessment by the host department and the international office at the host university.
Based on the applications Villum Fonden's Working group for technical and natural sciences will recommend to the board which applicants should receive a Villum International Postdoc grant.
Proposals should fulfill the above requirements and are evaluated based on scientific excellence, home institution’s commitment to host and participate in career development of the applicant, and international institution’s assessment of how the applicant can fit in and contribute to their work. Hence letters of support are regarded as essential parts of the application.