The Villum Investigators 2021 are fuelled by curiosity

The ten Villum Investigators, who have been given grants of DKK 25-40 million, all have at least ten years of groundbreaking research behind them. With these grants they can explore new dimensions of their research areas, which range from synthetic biology to verifying the safety of self-driving cars.

“VILLUM FONDEN’s grants help ensure that we have leading researchers in Denmark who push the boundaries of knowledge in their fields. That is what moves us forward. And it’s something we need right now, for example when it comes to moving towards a more sustainable society. I look forward to following the work of the new Villum Investigators, and I congratulate them all,” says Minister of Higher Education and Science Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen. 

According to Jens Kann-Rasmussen, chair of VILLUM FONDEN’s board, an important aspect of the grants is the freedom they give researchers:

“The Villum Investigator programme gives some of the world’s best researchers time and space to pursue their best ideas. The grants give the ten Investigators freedom to carry out leading research and generate important and groundbreaking knowledge that benefits both research and our society,” says Jens Kann-Rasmussen, chair of VILLUM FONDEN’s board.

For Barbara Ann Halkier, professor and head of the basic research centre DynaMo at the University of Copenhagen, the title of Villum Investigator provides an opportunity to let curiosity guide her research into the world of plants:

“The grant gives me a unique opportunity to pursue my dream of understanding plants’ transport processes and their marvellous chemical language right down to the molecular level. This is knowledge which is vital for the well-being of plants and their ability to interact with their surroundings, and which can contribute to sustainable agriculture in the future.”

The ten Investigators have been selected from 72 candidates according to international practice with an assessment of the applications by VILLUM FONDEN’s working group, an assessment by three independent peers, and a final selection by the foundation’s board.

The grants will run over six years. The ten selected researchers represent departments at the University of Copenhagen, Aalborg University, the Technical University of Denmark, the University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University.

On 27 April 2021, the Villum Investigators will be celebrated at a ceremony at the VILLUM Window Collection in Søborg, which will be attended by the Minister of Higher Education and Science, Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen, among others.