Purpose
The postdoctoral fellowship offers a unique opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research
projects in collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University. Uppsala University stands
as a top global university in science, renowned for its education, student mobility, and
tradition of advancement. The programme invites early career researchers to apply for a
three-year fellowship in collaboration with a research group at Uppsala University. Fellows
will develop a research project at Uppsala University for the first two years, followed by a
return phase of up to one year at a Danish university or other Danish public or non-profit
research institution.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) aims to propel the career development of outstanding
early-stage researchers by:
- Providing them with the opportunity to gain extensive research experience and
training in a unique interdisciplinary environment at the highest international level,
while fostering an open exchange of intellect and ideas. - Promoting their scientific networks and innovative spirit through mobility, thus
fostering scientific independence and international collaboration. - Supporting their continued research collaborations and knowledge transfer between
the Danish research ecosystem and Uppsala University.
Areas of support
The programme supports research spanning from fundamental studies to innovative
projects. Applications are welcome in all areas of natural and technical sciences, biomedicine,
or biotechnology, provided the project is interdisciplinary and has potential impact on
human health or sustainability. The project’s potential applications for human health or
sustainability must be clearly explained in the application.
Eligibility
The fellowship supports postdoctoral research projects for up to 3 years, where the first 2
years are spent at Uppsala University. The final year must be dedicated to the return phase at
the Danish host institution.
Applicants must:
- Have obtained a PhD degree in natural and technical sciences, biomedicine, or
biotechnology within 5 years of the fellowship start date.- Leave of absence periods do not count towards the 5 years (documentation
must be available upon request). - Applicants can apply as a PhD student if the PhD supervisor provides a
statement that the applicant is expected to graduate before the start date of
the fellowship.
- Leave of absence periods do not count towards the 5 years (documentation
- Establish contact with a host Principal Investigator (PI) at Uppsala University who
commits to being the primary research mentor for the duration of the stay abroad. - Not have spent more than one year as a postdoctoral researcher at Uppsala
University at the time of application, although the stay may already have
commenced. - Have a confirmed Danish hosting institution, including a host PI, who will be the
employer of the fellow for the duration of the fellowship, has committed to
administrate the entire grant, and who will be the host of the fellow during the period
in Denmark. - Demonstrate association to the Danish educational system or research environment
(e.g. graduated from a Danish University, Danish citizenship, or several years of
research experience at a Danish institution).
A Danish university or other public, non-profit research institution in Denmark (Danish Host
Institution) must employ the applicant and administer the fellowship for the entirety of the
grant period.
Special rules for applications:
- Applicants can only submit one application at a time for any of the NNF postdoctoral
fellowship grants and must receive notification of the outcome before re-applying. - The project can receive partial funding from other sources. Any co-funding must be
explicitly mentioned in the application.
The general conditions for receiving a grant from NNF can be found on our webpage:
Funding
The duration of the fellowship is three years. NNF will support approximately up to DKK 1.2
million per year, with a maximum of DKK 3.6 million per fellowship.
Recurring call
September 2027
