Fully Funded PhD Fellowships in Denmark 2025 | Apply Now for DARA Open PhD Program

Illustrative Image: Fully Funded PhD Fellowships in Denmark 2025 | Apply Now for DARA Open PhD Program
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Are you a talented early-career researcher ready to embark on a transformative academic journey? The Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) invites applications for its prestigious 2025 Open PhD Fellowships, offering a fully funded opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research in Denmark—a global hub of innovation and academic excellence.

🎯 Fellowship Purpose and Vision

The DARA Open Fellowships are designed to empower exceptional students who demonstrate originality, scientific rigor, and the potential to redefine knowledge frontiers. These fellowships support curiosity-driven research that challenges conventional thinking, tests new hypotheses, and delivers practical insights for societal benefit. Whether your work is theoretical or applied, you are encouraged to propose a bold and visionary project capable of inspiring new research directions and scholarly breakthroughs.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

DARA is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. All candidates—regardless of gender, nationality, ethnicity, age, disability, or religion—are encouraged to apply. Key eligibility requirements include:

• PhD Admission Eligibility: Applicants must qualify for admission to a PhD program in Denmark under the 5+3 (Master’s degree holders) or 4+4 (Bachelor’s + 1 year of Master’s studies) models. Both recent graduates and current students may apply.

• Supervisory Commitment: Candidates must secure a formal agreement with a principal supervisor (associate professor level or higher) based at a recognized research institution in the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Co-supervisors from other institutions—domestic or international—are welcome.

• Supervision Capacity: A principal supervisor can only oversee one active DARA PhD fellow at any time, though co-supervision is unrestricted.

🧪 Eligible Research Areas

DARA welcomes applications in a wide spectrum of disciplines within the technical, natural, and medical sciences, including:

• Biosciences & Biomedicine: From molecular biology, genetics, and cell biology to medical innovation, diagnostics, and nutrition science.

• Natural & Technical Sciences: Includes physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering fields such as robotics, nanotechnology, and mechanical sciences.

• Data & Computer Science: Theoretical and applied fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, and human-computer interaction.

• Biotechnology: Ranges from biomanufacturing and synthetic biology to sustainable agriculture, bio-based industries, and bioprocess engineering.

💰 Fellowship Package and Benefits

DARA will award 9 fully funded fellowships as part of its 2025 Summer Call. Each award includes:

• Salary: Up to 1,575,000 DKK (approx. €211,000) for the entire duration of the PhD—aligned with Danish PhD employment standards.

• Project Supplement: A research grant of 750,000 DKK to support your research project, infrastructure, and related activities.

• Tuition Fees: Up to 240,000 DKK to cover full enrollment costs at the host university.

In addition to financial support, fellows will benefit from:

• Exclusive access to DARA’s tailored academic training programs and networking events.

• Global mentorship: Each fellow will be matched with an international mentor—a leading scholar outside Denmark—to provide expert guidance and foster global academic engagement.

This comprehensive support ecosystem ensures each PhD fellow has not only the resources but also the intellectual mentorship and collaborative environment necessary to thrive.

🗓 Important Dates

• Application Deadline: 29 August 2025 at 2:00 PM (CEST)

• Selection Notification: December 2025

• Fellowship Start Window:

  • Earliest Start: 1 February 2026

  • Latest Start: 15 June 2026
    (Start dates may be adjusted slightly to accommodate university enrollment processes. Non-compliance may result in withdrawal of the award.)

🔗 How to Apply

Applicants are strongly encouraged to review eligibility requirements, secure a supervisory agreement, and prepare a research proposal that aligns with DARA’s mission of advancing scientific discovery.

📍 For detailed application procedures and official guidelines, visit the Danish Advanced Research Academy (DARA) Open PhD Fellowships webpage.

🌐 Why Choose Denmark for Your PhD?

Denmark ranks among the world’s top countries for research quality, innovation, and work-life balance. As a PhD fellow under DARA, you will join a thriving scientific community with world-class infrastructure, collaborative networks, and a strong commitment to global impact.

Take this chance to contribute to knowledge that matters—pursue your PhD where your ideas are valued, and your future is limitless.