Villum Investigator

Technical and natural sciences

For experienced and internationally recognised researchers with the potential to make a significant contribution to research at a Danish university.

The ideal applicant is an active researcher who has demonstrated groundbreaking research at the highest international level for 10 years or longer.

We announce the programme every second year in open competition. The next call will launch in February 2024 with an application deadline 21 August 2024. The final decision on the grant will be taken by the board of Villum Foundation in March 2025.

Researchers already established at a Danish research institution can apply for up to DKK 30 million, including 15% for indirect costs.

Villum Foundation wish to encourage the recruitment of leading international researchers to Denmark. If you have been employed outside Denmark for at least four of the last five years at the time of application, you can apply for up to DKK 40 million, including 15% for indirect costs.

A grant runs for six years. After the grant period, it is possible to reapply for the programme in competition with other applicants.

It takes approximately seven months from application to final approval or rejection of the application.

The assessment of applications for the Villum Investigator programme takes place in two stages. In the first stage our Working Group for Technical and Natural Science evaluates the applications and selects a number for the second stage.

In the second stage the chosen applications are sent for anonymous peer review by 3-4 independent international peers. The applicant is then called for an interview with the working group. Based on the peer reviews and the interview the working group recommends a number of applicants for funding to the board.

The board of Villum Foundation makes their final decision at their meeting in March 2025.

If you applied for the Villum Investigator programme in 2022 and were not invited for an interview, you are ineligible to apply in 2024. Applicants for the Villum Investigator call in 2024 who are not invited for an interview will be ineligible to apply in the 2026 call.