A Villum Young Investigator grant is expected to be a “defining grant” that enables the grantee to establish their first research group and allows the grantee to demonstrate independent leadership in science.

Applicants must have a clearly defined research goal for the full five-year grant period, and the research must be of such scale that it requires the formation of a research group made up of at least two researchers in addition to the grant holder/PI, for example, one PhD student and one postdoc. 

You can apply for up to DKK 9 million, and the project period is 5 years.

Applicants may apply a total of two times.

For more information, please visit the call website.

The deadline to sign up for support from Fundraising & Project Management for Villum Young Investigator is March 1st. Please keep updated on internal deadlines via the PlanDisc calendar and the overview of support: 

• 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 (overview of support)
• Find our annual wheel of funding here (PlanDisc)
• IMPORTANT: Register your wish for support for this instrument here.

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.

Applicants are evaluated on their past research performance, future research plan and potential to become research leaders. Applicants are typically experienced postdoctoral researchers, assistant professors, or associate professors.

Formal rules:

• Elgibility window: 2-8 years of research experience since the conferral date of their PhD.
• Associate professors must not have more than two years' standing at the time of the application deadline. 

Any leaves of absence, such as working in the private sector, military service, or sick/parental/care leave, can be deducted with regards to PhD age and employment time as associate professor.

Villum Fonden has joined the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) that recognises the diversity of contributions to, and careers in, research. You should consider this when evaluating the CV. Journal- and publication-based metrics such as the H-index should only be used in a responsible way.

F&P organizes an annual open information meeting with the participation of the Villum Foundation. It is an in-person event in Aalborg, usually in April.

In connection with the information meeting, a workshop for Villum Young Investigator applicants is organized.

Please keep an eye on the events posted on this website.

There are no courses offered for this instrument. In connection with the information meeting, a workshop for Villum Young Investigator applicants is organized.

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
• Inclusion in Teams group for all Villum YIP applicants at AAU

Tools for Villum Young 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 Villum submission system.

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 Young Investigator Committee, F&P helps with the interview preparation, including mock interviews with successful grantees, 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