DFF-Research Project1
The instrument is characterised by having a clear and well-defined research question, where the research activities are expected to be of a high, international level of quality.
Please note
This page presents the overall framework for the instrument. The full Call for Proposals for Independent Research 2026 can be accessed here or under "Documents” in the right column. Please read this carefully before applying to DFF for funding. In case of discrepancies between the website and the Call for Proposals, the Call for Proposals applies.
Objective
To advance the quality of Danish research, DFF offers funding for DFF-Research Project1, which is characterised by having a clear and well-defined research question, where the research activities are expected to be of a high, international level of quality.
Framework
Budget limitations
Up to DKK 2,550,000 excl. overhead.
Project duration
Typically 3 years, but up to 4 years if the project includes one or more PhD student(s).
Seniority
You must have obtained your PhD degree or equivalent qualifications at least 3 years before the expiration of the application deadline. Specific periods of leave must be deducted.
Read more under “About the applicant”.
Starting dates
Earliest: 1 January 2027
Latest: 1 January 2028
Offered by
About the applicant
As an applicant, you must have obtained your PhD at least 3 years before the expiration of the application deadline. If you do not have a PhD degree, you must have obtained equivalent qualifications, e.g., a positive assistant professor assessment (”adjunktbedømmelse”), at least 3 years before the expiration of the application deadline. Specific periods of leave must be deducted in the calculations of PhD age, cf. section 12 in the call.
Your previous results will be assessed in relation to your career path and in relation to the scientific challenges of the project applied for.
About the application
When writing an application to the fund, you must pay special attention to ensuring that the application fulfils the objective of the funding instrument and that it meets the fund’s assessment criteria.
DFF emphasises that the project description must include an account of the proposed content of all sub-projects, including any PhD and postdoctoral projects.
The project description must include an account of the proposed content of all sub-projects, including any PhD and postdoctoral projects.
There must be a sufficiently balanced relationship between the roles of all listed project participants (scientific/academic staff, technical/administrative staff, and whether DFF-funding or not), and the concrete role of the participants must be accounted for and justified.
The application must be written in English.
PhD and postdoctoral scholarships
You can apply for funding for embedded PhD and postdoctoral scholarships, if these are well integrated into the project and fulfil a clear, independent function within the research project.
Embedded postdoctoral candidates must have obtained their PhD within the last 4 years at the time of the application deadline. If an embedded postdoctoral candidate does not have a PhD degree, they must have achieved equivalent qualifications, e.g., a positive assistant professorship evaluation (”adjunktbedømmelse”), within the last 4 years at the time of the DFF application deadline. Specific periods of leave must be deducted in the calculation of PhD age, cf. section 12. Note that the PhD age requirements does not apply to application for DFF | Medical Sciences.
If you, as the applicant, are not an associate professor and have not been awarded a positive associate professor assessment (“lektorbedømmelse”) and the project involves the education of researchers, you must account for how the relevant supervision will be provided, and how the research student’s scientific association to the project will be ensured.
If the application includes requests for funding for unnamed PhD students and/or unnamed postdoctoral participants, the application must include an account of the proposed recruitment process. If a named postdoctoral candidate is a PhD student at the time of application, the application must include a declaration from the student’s supervisor, stating that the student is expected to submit the PhD thesis within 6 months after the application deadline.
Budget
You can apply for up to DKK 2,550,000 excl. overhead. The budget must be completed in the mandatory budget template, which can be downloaded from e-grant.
Project description and appendices
Below is a list of the appendices that must be attached to your application. For some appendices, it is specified that they are only to be attached if relevant. You can read more about the general requirements for the content of the project description, CV, publication list, etc. in section 10, and about the budget in section 11. The definition of roles in the project is described in section 10.3.
Please note in particular that there are character and page limits for the project description and page limits for the applicant’s CV and publication list. Exceeding these limits will result in an administrative rejection. It is always the character count generated by e-grant that applies. You can find more information in section 10.2.
- B10: Project description
The project description must not exceed 5 A4 pages (incl. figures, tables, etc.). The 5 A4 pages must not exceed 15,000 characters incl. spaces, figure captions, formulas, etc. It is recommended to use the “DFF-Project description” template. - B11: List of references/bibliography
List of references/bibliography for the project description. - Budget
Must be completed in the mandatory DFF budget template downloaded from and uploaded to e-grant. - B20: Applicant’s CV
Must be compiled using the mandatory DFF CV template and must comply with the specified formal requirements (see section 10.7). Your CV must not exceed 3 A4 pages. - B21: Applicant’s list of publications (track record)
Must be compiled using the mandatory DFF track record template and must comply with the specified formal requirements (see section 10.7). Your track record must not exceed 3 A4 pages. - B40: Participant's CV and list of publications (if relevant)
CVs and publication lists must be attached for all named project participants, including the principal supervisor (if relevant). Participants may choose either to submit a CV and publication list without using the DFF template, with a combined maximum length of 2 pages, or to use DFF’s templates for CV (B20) and track record (B21), combined into a single PDF. - B41: Named PhD’s (if relevant)
In the case of PhD positions for named individuals, the following appendices must be attached: CV, list of publications (if the candidate has already published scientific work), and a complete transcript of records/diploma. The candidate may choose either to submit a CV and list of publications without using the DFF template, with a combined maximum length of 2 pages, or to use DFF’s templates for CV (B20) and track record (B21), compiled into a single PDF. - B42: Named postdocs (if relevant)
In the case of postdoctoral positions for named individuals, the following appendices must be attached: CV list of publications, and PhD diploma. The candidate may choose either to submit a CV and list of publications without using the DFF template, with a combined maximum length of 2 pages, or to use DFF’s templates for CV (B20) and track record (B21), compiled into a single PDF.
If the candidate does not have a PhD diploma you must submit documentation showing either: a) that the thesis has been accepted for defence, b) positive assistant professorship evaluation (“adjunktbedømmelse”), c) qualifications corresponding to PhD level achieved in another manner or, d) declaration from supervisor on submission of PhD thesis within 6 months of the application deadline (PhD students) must be submitted. - B52: Collaboration/support letter (if relevant)
If a collaborator is significant for the project’s completion, a collaborative statement/letter of support must be enclosed. It must be specified how the collaborator contributes to the project (max 1 page from each). - B63: De minimis declaration (if relevant)
If funding for private companies is included, a de minimis declaration must be attached. - B90: Budget confirmation
Administrator’s confirmation of the budget, etc., in the template “DFF-Budget Confirmation”.
Supplementary information
Timeline
| Deadline | 12 May 2026 at 12:00 PM (noon) |
| Decision | September 2026 |
| Expected reply | October 2026 |
Templates
The budget template must be downloaded in e-grant.
Questions about your application?
Contact the secretariat
Weekdays from 9 am - 12 pm
Tel.: +45 72 31 82 00
Email: dff-opslag@ufm.dk