The Villum Ascending Investigator programme targets researchers in the mid-stage of their independent careers who have demonstrated scientific excellence and are ready to expand their leadership role and consolidate their research vision. Grants support the development of research groups to foster long-term impact within the Danish and global research landscape in the technical and natural sciences.

Applicants may apply a maximum of two times.

The call is expected to be published every second year.

For more information, please visit the call website.

Please consult the PlanDisc calendar or the support overview document listed below.

• Your local funding advisor is your first point of contact for support.
• Find more information on which instruments and what type of support F&P offers here (support overview)
• Find our annual wheel of funding here (PlanDisc)

AAU Seed Money can be used to support the preparation of an application, including activities such as proposal writing, meetings with potential consortium partners, and involvement of an external consultant.

AAU Seed Money is available both at faculty level and through AAU’s missions. For details on available funding amounts, application deadlines, and specific faculty requirements, please contact your local funding advisor.

Minimum PhD age: 9 years.

The applicant must be in, or recruited for, a permanent position at the Associate Professor or Professor levels.

Professors must not have held their title for more than 5 years at the time of the application.

Villum Ascending Investigators are required to spend at least 75% of their time on research and teaching at a Danish University.

An information meeting with the Villum Foundation is organized usually in April. Please keep updated on our events page

We do not offer a course for this instrument.

Fundraising & Project Management offers support throughout the entire application process. 

We also offer a follow-up meeting regarding application outcome on the initiative of the applicant.

Meetings

• We offer a start-up meeting which includes assistance in assessing whether the funding instrument is the right fit for the applicant (including eligibility check) and the research idea, and whether the timing is right. In this first meeting, we also suggest a timeline to ensure a smooth application process.
• Subsequent meetings are planned in collaboration with the applicant.

Tools

• Annotated template
• Budget guide

Tools for Ascending Investigator is available in the Funding Toolbox.

Review of application 

Fundraising & Project Management offers structured proposal feedback at least twice during the application process, supplemented by continuous advice throughout the writing phase. This includes:

• Two in‑depth reviews of the application, each providing concrete suggestions for changes, additions, clarifications, or strategic considerations.
• Feedback aimed at strengthening coherence, alignment with call expectations, clarity of narrative, and overall competitiveness.

These reviews support the applicant in refining the proposal and ensuring a high quality final submission.

Submission

Fundraising & Project Management offers administrative support regarding questions about submission in the submission portal.

Budget

The budget is managed at the department level, with Fundraising & Project Management providing guidance, recommendations, and alignment support as needed. For further information, please contact your local funding advisor.

Interview support

If the applicant is invited to an interview with the Villum Ascending Investigator Committee, F&P helps with the interview preparation, including mock interviews, feedback meetings, FAQ lists.

The application support process is evaluated after the deadline by means of an online survey to the applicants.

No project management is offered from F&P