Bring us your bold, offbeat and wild research idea

A new experiment in the world of philanthropy

VILLUM FONDEN is looking for bold researchers in the technical and natural sciences that will pursue an original, offbeat and unorthodox idea, which they have dreamed to try out for a long time. With the VILLUM Experiment, the idea is to provide support for the bold research idea that may otherwise perish in the traditionally stringent selection process.

Researchers can apply for up to 2 million DKK to cover a research period of up to 2 years. The main use of these grants is to cover own salary, travels, running costs, etc.

"We have created this programme for the very particular research projects that challenge the norm and have the potential to fundamentally change the way we connect to important issues," says professor and research director Thomas Sinkjær, VILLUM FONDEN.

The applicant remains anonymous

"To ensure that scientists dare to submit their most ambitious, unorthodox ideas - without the risk of being reprimanded by their peers assessing their research idea - we guarantee that the candidates remain anonymous to the reviewers".

"We ask the reviewers to focus on the ideas they perceive are real breakthroughs. The ideas may be very bold, and maybe we have to realise that only very few projects actually turn out to be unique."

Ideas must be tested

"One experiment is better than a 1,000 expert views". This was the motto of VILLUM FONDEN´s founder Villum Kann Rasmussen. He was an imaginative and innovative inventor who always experimented. He designed tables, chairs, coffee machines, wind turbines and of course, the VELUX roof window, which is his most famous invention.

"Villum Kann Rasmussen praised the good initiative and the good ideas. With the VILLUM Experiment, we hope to support the brains of the researchers, which may come up with a new, wild and bold research project, which will eventually benefit society, "concludes Thomas Sinkjær.