What can you apply for in 2026?

  • New law

In 2026, researchers can choose from a range of independent and thematic funding opportunities when applying for research funding from Independent Research Fund Denmark.

A picture of the DFF logo on a glass door

As a consequence of the legislative amendment that entered into force on 1 January 2026, Independent Research Fund Denmark is changing the timing of its calls for proposals. Going forward, all calls will be published at the beginning of the calendar year. This will provide applicants with an overview of the funding opportunities available in a given year and enable them to choose the call that best fits their research idea.

Read about the legislative amendment concerning Independent Research Fund Denmark. 

Overview of the fund’s calls for proposals in 2026

Independent Research Fund Denmark expects to publish five calls for proposals in 2026. The calls are expected to be published around 16 March 2026:

  • Call for independent research for 2026 (i.e. spring 2026 and autumn 2026)
  • Call under the Inge Lehmann Programme 2026
  • Call for thematic research 2026
  • Call for thematic research for multiannual priorities 2026–2029
  • Call for thematic research for Arctic research and research on the Danish Realm 2026

Below, you can find information on the budget frameworks and expected application deadlines for the calls, as currently known by the fund.

Funding for independent research 

Applicants may apply for funding for independent, curiosity-driven research through a range of funding instruments offered by all five research councils or by individual councils. The funding instruments offered in spring 2026 are listed below.

The deadlines for spring 2026 remain unchanged:

  • DFF–Research Project1

    • Application deadline: 29 April 2026
    • Funding framework: Up to DKK 2,550,000 excluding overhead

  • Pregraduate Scholarships (offered only by DFF | Medical Sciences) 

    • Application deadline: 30 April 2026
    • Funding framework: Up to DKK 150,000 excluding overhead

The deadlines in autumn 2026 are expected to fall at approximately the same times as in the call for research funding for autumn 2025, which can be found here. The requirements set out under the individual funding instruments, including requirements relating to applicants, are also expected to be largely identical to those in the most recent call.

The final requirements and application deadlines for autumn 2026 will be specified in the call for independent research 2026, which will be published in March. Reservations are made for possible adjustments to the requirements and the portfolio of funding instruments.

Please note, however, that there will be other significant changes in the form of adjusted assessment criteria and new requirements concerning the content of applicants’ CVs and publication lists.

Read more about the changes to the call here. 

Politically defined themes and instruments

In 2026, Independent Research Fund Denmark will allocate funding to a number of politically prioritised themes and instruments, as set out in the agreement on the research reserve for 2026–2029.

As a new element, some of the themes are now defined as multiannual priorities, providing better opportunities for potential applicants to take a long-term perspective and consider whether an application is ready to be submitted in 2026 or whether to apply for one of the annual deadlines, which will continue up to and including 2029. See which themes are multinannual priorities in the overview below.

In 2026, Independent Research Fund Denmark will allocate funding to one politically defined instrument without thematic earmarking:

  • The Inge Lehmann Programme 2026

    • Application deadline: 17 June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 2,550,000 excl. overhead
    • Applicant requirements: PhD age of 2–6 years. Prior employment as assistant professor/associate professor, researcher/senior researcher or docent at a Danish research institution covered by a position structure under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Defence, or the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities. Other position titles with research content and opportunities for career progression may, following a specific assessment, meet the eligibility criteria. Employment as a postdoc does not meet the requirements regarding the applicant’s position category.

In 2026, Independent Research Fund Denmark will allocate funding to 13 politically defined themes. All themes offered under the instrument DFF-Thematic Research, which the fund introduced in 2025. The general framework for applications is the same across themes. All projects must be led by an applicant and a named Co-PI, and applications must include both a project description and an appendix describing how the application addresses the theme-specific requirements.

  • Research on artificial intelligence (multiannual priority 2026–2029)

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project

  • Green research (multiannual priority 2026–2029)

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Interdisciplinarity as defined by ERC’s domains, meaning that the applicant and the Co-PI must come from different main scientific areas (Physical Sciences and Engineering, Life Sciences and Social Sciences and Humanities); and capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project

  • Clinical and independent research (multiannual priority 2026–2029)

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Research areas with limited commercial interest and/or limited opportunities for external funding

  • Research in psychiatry (multiannual priority 2026–2029)

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project

  • Arctic research

    • Application deadline: Early September 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project; and collaboration between different research environments across the Danish Realm (at least two of the three countries), including that the applicant or the Co-PI is associated with an institution in one of the countries of the Danish Realm; and involvement of local communities or Indigenous Peoples in Arctic communities within the Danish Realm

  • Research on elderly and ageing and dementia

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Multidisciplinary research, in which the applicant and the Co-PI come from different research disciplines; and requirement of practice-oriented research

  • Research on vulnerability and poor well-being

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project

  • Research in the specialised social services

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 8 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Practice-oriented research

  • Research on learning and well-being in primary schools and in upper secondary and vocational education

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Practice-oriented research

  • Research on antisemitism

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to approximately DKK 6 million incl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project; and cross-institutional collaboration, thus that the applicant and the Co-PI comes from different scientific environments or research institutions

  • Research on artificial intelligence on the cancer field

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Either the applicant or the Co-PI must be employed in the healthcare system during the grant period, so that the research can benefit patients and the healthcare system

  • Research on fertility (multiannual priority 2026–2029)

    • Application deadline: Late May or early June 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: None

  • Research on the Danish Realm

    • Application deadline: Early September 2026
    • Grant amount: Up to DKK 5 million excl. overhead
    • Theme-specific requirements: Capacity building, i.e. at least one PhD student or postdoctoral researcher in the project; and collaboration between different actors across the Danish Realm, thus that at least two of the three countries in the Realm are represented (e.g., researchers, institutions, authorities or NGO’s etc.).

Questions and further information

Find answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the legislative amendment and the major changes in 2026 here. 

Email: DFF-opslag@ufm.dk

Telephone: +45 72 31 82 00 (weekdays between 9.00 and 12.00)