Villum Investigator 2026
Villum Foundation is pleased to announce the 2026 call for Villum Investigators.
A total amount of DKK 300 million is allocated to this call.
A total amount of DKK 300 million is allocated to this call.
The aim of the Villum Investigator Programme is to allow outstanding experienced researchers to pursue original new ideas in the technical or natural sciences.
Applicants are expected to be active researchers with a track record of excellent research for the last 10 years or more.
A Villum Investigator is appointed for a six-year period at a Danish university or at GEUS. You may apply for up to DKK 30 million. It is no longer possible to apply for a larger grant as an international recruitment to Denmark. However, such applicants may be eligible for subsequent relocation support based on an individual assessment by the host institution and the international office at the host university.
Villum Foundation is committed to diversity and has a focus on equal opportunities throughout the assessment process and grant period (you may find our Gender Policy here).
If you applied for a Villum Investigator grant in 2024 and were not invited for an interview, you are ineligible to apply in 2026. Applicants in the 2026 call who are not invited for an interview will be ineligible to apply in the next Villum Investigator call in 2028.
Villum Investigators can re-apply at the end of their grant period in open competition with other applicants; in the 2026 call we expect an indicative amount of DKK 90 million to be available for present Villum Investigators re-applying.
Status
Closed
Maximum application amount
DKK 30m
Application
- Open for submissionsApplication
- Deadline for submissions
14:00
The assessment and selection process is divided into two steps.
Step 1: The foundation's Working group for technical and natural science evaluates the applications based on the Terms of Reference and decides which applicants should be invited for an interview. The selected applications will be sent for external peer review.
Step 2: Based on the application, the external peer reviews, the applicant's written reply to the peer reviews, and an interview with the applicant, the working group recommends to the board of Villum Foundation which applicants should receive a Villum Investigator grant.
Important dates:
- 20 August 2026, 2 PM: Deadline for applications
- November 2026: Decision to proceed to Step 2 (interview)
- 15 January 2027: Peer reviews are forwarded to the applicants selected for interview
- 22 January 2027: Deadline for applicants' comments on peer reviews
- 2-4 February 2027: Interviews for the selected applicants
- March 2027: Rejection or approval of grant
Villum Investigators are required to devote at least 75% of their total effort to the direct conduct of research and education within the technical and/or natural sciences at a Danish research institution.
The research must be conducted at the Danish research institution where the applicant is employed.
The grant cannot be used to cover the salary of the Villum Investigator. The host institution will pay this throughout the six-year period as a Villum Investigator.
The grant cannot be used to cover the salary of permanently employed scientific staff (defined as the job categories assistant professor, associate professor, researcher and senior researcher, whether time-limited or not).
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.
The application must contain the following documents in pdf format:
- Application (download guidelines below).
- CV using the provided template, supplemented by a complete publication list from the last 10 years.
- Budget in the provided template. The Villum Investigator grant is large and flexible. Applicants may apply for up to DKK 30 million for a period of six years, including project supplement (indirect costs). For the present call the project supplement is DKK 257,000 per project-funded full-time academic staff equivalent in eligible staff categories.
The size of the budget is expected to reflect expenses typical for the proposed research field. The grant can be used to fund postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, equipment, technical assistance, and other customary project expenses. Administrative support to the PI for up to two months per year may be applied for; general administrative support is covered by the project supplement and cannot be entered as a direct cost. Please note that Open Access publication costs are not eligible for support. For further information on eligible costs, see the budget list from Universities Denmark here:
https://dkuni.dk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/guidelines-for-project-supplement_final_version-3.pdf.
An amount of DKK 200,000 in the budget is set aside for participation in ‘Villum Footsteps’, a mandatory networking and leadership programme arranged by the foundation. - Letter of support. A letter from the department wishing to host the Villum Investigator demonstrating its support for and recognition of the application.
- Optional request for specific peer reviewers not to be included in the process. Please note that the foundation is not bound to exclude specific reviewers.
The documents above must be submitted as five separate pdf files.
Are references included in the page limit in item C in the application guidelines?
No, references must be listed in item K. Please note that item K is a literature list and not a list of your own publications.
Is the PI required to spend 75% of their working hours on the Villum Investigator grant?
No, not necessarily. The PI is required to spend a substantial amount of time on the Villum Investigator grant and devote at least 75% of her/his total effort to the direct conduct of technical and/or natural science research and education in general.
Can a PI be affiliated to a non-Danish university while having a Villum Investigator grant?
A Villum Investigator is required have her/his main position at a Danish research institution, meaning at least 75% of a full-time position.
Can I use hyperlinks in my proposal?
No, you are not allowed to link to additional material in your proposal. The Working Group will not take such links into account in their evaluation.
Do you wish to print the whole page?
Print the necessary guidelines before applying.
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