Postdoctoral exchange programme in quantum research

Description of the theme

The politically determined agreement states that ”DKK 19.8 million has been allocated to DFF with the purpose of establishing a new researcher exchange programme for young researchers with a focus on strengthening the internationalisation of Danish research in the field of quantum research. The programme aims to provide talented researchers at the postdoctoral level with the opportunity to spend a period of their research career at leading research institutions abroad.”

The field of quantum research encompasses a range of different research areas, cf. the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science’s Mapping of research in the field of quantum research. Including the interaction between universities and companies from 2022 (only available in Danish).

According to the national Strategy for Quantum Technology: Part 1 – World-Class Research and Innovation from 2023, international collaboration on the development of quantum technology is associated with security risks. The strategy emphasises international cooperation with countries in the EU as well as non-EU countries that have established strong quantum research environments, such as Canada, Japan, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, or in relation to the Danish innovation centers (see below). In the application form, you must account for the potential security-related risks associated with the research project and your stay abroad (see section 1.6 and section 5.2.1 in the thematic Call for Proposals).

DFF further refers to Innovation Centre Denmark in Boston, Munich, Seoul, Silicon Valley, and Tel Aviv, which can provide information on collaboration opportunities with relevant research institutions in the field of quantum research. Contact information can be found at www.icdk.dk. Questions regarding the call should be directed to the office of Independent Research Fund Denmark (cf. section 8.1 in the thematic Call for Proposals ).

It is possible to apply for postdoctoral projects within a budgetary framework of up to DKK 1,500,000 excluding overhead/administration expenses over a period of two years.

As part of the assessment process, the fund expects to submit your application for individual external peer review (see section 6.3 in the thematic Call for Proposals for further information).

The following theme-specific requirements apply to your application:

• Your postdoctoral project must be of two years’ duration, out of which you spend 12 consecutive months abroad at a foreign research institution outside of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. You must spend a total of 12 months at the project’s administrating institution in Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland. You can choose to either spend up to 6 months at the beginning and/or up to 12 months at the end of the project period at the administrating institution. This requirement is intended to support the theme’s reintegration element, where you bring your new knowledge and your project into play in a research environment at the administrating institution.
• In the appendix to your project description, you must account for the ways in which your application addresses the call’s theme of quantum research as well as how you and your project will be reintegrated at the administrating institution after the stay abroad.

Applicant

You must have obtained a PhD degree, expect to submit your thesis for defence within 12 months after the application deadline, or have obtained equivalent qualifications to a PhD degree, e.g., a positive assistant professor assessment (”adjunktbedømmelse”), in order to apply for a DFF-International Postdoctoral Grant. Your PhD degree must have been obtained from a Danish, Faroese or Greenlandic institution.

DFF places emphasis on the fact that you, as an applicant, are in the beginning of your research career, and therefore your PhD age must not exceed 5 years at the expiration of the application deadline. Periods of leave must be deducted (see section 5.3.5 in the Call for Proposals concerning calculation of the PhD age).

If you do not have a PhD degree, you must have obtained equivalent qualifications to a PhD degree, e.g., a positive assistant professor assessment (”adjunktbedømmelse”), maximum 5 years before the expiration of the application deadline.

As a PhD student, you are able to apply if you attach a declaration from your supervisor stating that your PhD thesis will be submitted for defence within 12 months after the application deadline. If you are awarded a DFF-International Postdoctoral Grant (thematic), but subsequently fail to submit your PhD thesis within 12 months after the application deadline, the grant will be annulled. Please note that your PhD diploma must be submitted to DFF before the first instalment of the grant can be made.

You must complete and submit the application yourself.

As an applicant, you cannot apply for funding for a stay at a research institution outside of Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland where you have stayed for a total of 12 months or more within the last 3 years at the time of the application deadline.

Application requirements

The theme aims to strengthen the international mobility of younger talented researchers, and to develop the competencies of researchers in the beginning of their research career. The specific aim is to strengthen the internationalisation of Danish quantum research. The intention is to enable the grant recipient to consolidate their individual research profile by independently managing a concrete research project at a foreign research institution.

The project description must illustrate the project’s scientifically innovative quality in relation to your PhD project as well as how the project contributes to your continued competency development. DFF will place emphasis on how you consolidate your independent, scientific profile during the project, for instance through new collaborations, e.g., by not continuing to collaborate with your PhD supervisor, by making a change of environment away from the institution where you received your PhD degree, or other initiatives that may contribute to strengthening your independent research profile. Moreover, the project description must include a description of the scientific environment in which the project will be carried out, including an account of why the chosen environment is well suited to the proposed activities as well as the nature of the concrete, binding collaboration.

It is a requirement that the application includes a declaration from the foreign host institution (outside of Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland), stating that the project can be carried out at the location in question, including a short comment on the scientific/academic content of the cooperation and the most important activities. The declaration must be signed by someone who has the managerial authorisation to do so. It is also required that the CV and publication list (max. 2 pages in total) of the scientific/academic host for the research stay abroad is enclosed to the application.

You are responsible for drawing up an agreement with the foreign institution (outside of Denmark, the Faroe Islands or Greenland) concerning the research activities as well as potential questions concerning intellectual property rights and any equipment that will be used in connection with the grant.

DFF-International Postdoctoral Grants (thematic) are paid out to and administered by a Danish, Faroese or Greenlandic research institution.

As an applicant, you are expected to take up residence in the country where the research institution outside of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland is located during your stay abroad.