Villum Young Investigator

The ideal applicant is a highly talented young researcher in the field of technical and natural sciences. At the application deadline applicants must have two to eight years of research experience after completing their PhD.

You can apply for a Villum Young Investigator Programme grant a maximum of two times.

We announce the programme once a year in open competition. 

You can apply for up to DKK 9 million.

A grant runs for five years.

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

The assessment of Villum Yong Investigator applications takes place in two stages. First, the applications are evaluated by the Villum Young Investigator committee. They select a number of applicants for the second round.

In the second round, the selected applications are invited to an interview with the committee. Based on the applications and interviews, the committee recommends a number of applicants for funding.

The board will make its final decision at its meeting in December 2026.

As a Villum Young Investigator, you become part of a network of like-minded individuals and are invited to the annual Villum Young Investigator meeting, covering topics such as recruitment and research management. You will also become part of the Villum Fellow community and get the opportunity to participate in networking activities with other Villum Fellows.

In addition, all recipients of a Villum Young Investigator grant in 2026 are required to participate in the ‘Footsteps’ programme, which focuses on innovation, leadership, networking, and knowledge exchange. An amount of DKK 200,000 from the grant has been allocated for this purpose.