The fellowship is a fixed individual research grant supporting early career data scientists to develop and consolidate their individual research identity and scientific network. By focusing on academic freedom and the researcher-driven idea, we aim to foster talents and engage and empower the new generation of data science researchers in Denmark.

DDSA works with a broad definition of data science, both methodological and applied. We award applicants that combine excellent data science qualifications, creativity, passion for research, and the desire to engage with the data science community. Please go to the Meet Our Fellows site for examples of data science projects previously funded by DDSA.

Further, DDSA encourages cross-disciplinary and collaborative projects. The interdisciplinary aspect is not limited to spanning theory and application but can also span different applications or different theoretical approaches.

If granted a DDSA fellowship, you will join a vibrant community of young data scientists #GrowingDanishDataScience across scientific domains and disciplines.

Important: All projects must be aligned with the research scope to the DDSA Postdoc Project funder, Novo Nordisk Foundation. Read more in the Eligibility requirements and the research scope site.

We welcome applications that combine excellent data science qualifications, creativity, passion for research, and the desire to engage with the data science community.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, nationality, or religion are encouraged to apply.

The Candidate

By time of application, you must have a PhD degree, or your PhD thesis must be accepted for defense prior to June 1, 2025.

You must have received your PhD Diploma no more than 6 years prior to the application deadline, leave of absence excluded. If you have been on parental leave after obtaining your PhD degree, the actual number of weeks of leave, multiplied by 2, can be deducted from your PhD age.

You must have an agreement with a Danish host institution. DDSA strongly encourages you to carry out your postdoc project in a different institution than the institution where you obtained your PhD degree to increase mobility and develop an independent research career.

It is a requirement that the candidate begin the research project prior to December 15, 2025, unless otherwise agreed with DDSA.

You must have high-level proficiency in oral and written English.

The Research Project

Your project must contain a strong data science component concerning basic theoretical data science research, development of new data science methods and technologies, and/or innovative applications of data science to generate new important insights.

Projects mainly concerned with methods development must argue convincingly for the potential application and impact.

Projects that have their primary focus on applications of state-of-the-art data science methods must argue convincingly for the novelty and impact of their data science approach and for the importance of the new knowledge generated.

The project must be aligned with the research scope of the DDSA postdoc funder, the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Host Institution

The host institution must be a Danish research institution within the field of your postdoc project.

The host institution must provide a statement in support of the candidate agreeing to host the postdoc applicant for the full two years of employment as well as commit to offer appropriate work conditions.

Please note that due to the Postdoc 4-Year Rule (Danish legislation) you are not eligible to apply for a DDSA postdoc fellowship if you have been employed in a postdoctoral position for more than two years at the university that you have a hosting agreement with prior to commencement of a DDSA postdoc fellowship.

Postdoc 4-Year Rule (Danish Legislation):
Employment as a postdoctoral researcher can take place up to a maximum of 4 years at the same university in Denmark. For more information, please contact your host institution or find more information in the Executive Order on Employment Structure (Stillingsstruktur) for Scientific Staff at Universities (only available in Danish).

Deadline for submitting your final application is on March 5, 2025, at 23:59 (UTC + 01:00). 

Applications must be submitted via the DDSA Funding Portal.

The application form is divided into three sections: Research Project, Research Environment, and Applicant Qualifications. You may at any time skip forward and back between the sections and save and view changes made to your application prior to submitting.  We encourage applicants to log in to the funding portal in good time before submitting the application.

Your application must be written in English and include the following:

RESEARCH PROJECT

Abstract

Max 2,500 characters.

• Abstract in English briefly describing purpose, methods and significance of the project.

Project Description and High-Level Research Plan

Max 8,000 characters excluding figures/tables and list of literature cited (uploaded in separate fields).

The project description should include:

• Background and state of the art
• Research questions and methods
• Outcome and potential impact
• Literature cited

Please note, it is not possible to write your project description in Latex.

Data Availability Statement (Optional)

Max 2,500 characters.

It is a prerequisite, that the proposed research is conducted in agreement with The Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity. Furthermore, if the specific project contains elements of potential ethical concern, please enclose a statement describing these as well as a presentation of measures to ensure responsible research conduct. If the research requires approval from ethical committees, this should be stipulated along the expected approval processing time.

Motivation Letter

Max 4,500 characters.

The motivation letter should address the following:

• What is your motivation for doing a postdoc?
• What is your motivation for addressing the research questions?
• Why are you the right candidate to carry out this project?
• How will your research and results impact science and society more broadly?

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

Description of Research Environment

Max 2,500 characters.

Please describe how the collaboration is a good match, and how the host environment will support you in successfully carrying out your research project.

Your Scientific Development

Max 2,500 characters.

Please include your reflections on how the research project will contribute to your scientific profile and your development as data science researcher, including your development into an independent researcher engaging in national and international collaborations.

Statements of Support from Host Institution and Collaborator(s)

Please provide:

• Statement of Support from Your Nearest PI at the Host Institution
  • A description of the research environment where the postdoctoral project will be carried out, including a description of the synergy between research environment and the candidate’s qualifications. If the collaboration is cross-disciplinary please include a description of how supervision of the additional discipline is envisioned.
• Statement of Support from Major Collaborators
  • You may add up to 2 statements of support from major collaborators (optional).
• Host Institution Statement
  •  A signed confirmation from the Head of Department agreeing to host the postdoc candidate for two years of employment as well as committing to offer appropriate work conditions to carry out the research project.

APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS

Curriculum Vitae

Max. 6,000 characters.

Your CV should include:

• Your educational background
• Previous employments
• Additional qualifications, for instance: data science and programming experience, honors, participation in research conferences/meetings/presentations, teaching experiences, assessment and review activities, change of environments national and internationally, etc.

Recommendation Letters/Other CV Documentation (Optional)

Max. 2 uploads.

Publication/Presentation List

E.g., peer-reviewed publications and conference papers (incl. the status of the paper: published/accepted/under review/preprint), posters, oral presentations, keynotes and invited talks.

Diploma

Please submit a copy of your PhD diploma.

If you do not yet have a PhD degree by time of application, please provide a statement from your principal PhD supervisor stating when the thesis will be handed in, as well as when the defense is expected to take place. Your PhD thesis must be accepted for defense prior to June 1, 2025. A copy of the PhD degree certificate must be forwarded to DDSA no later than December 15, 2025. If you have not forwarded a copy of your degree prior to December 15, 2025, the fellowship will be withdrawn.

If you have been on parental leave after obtaining your PhD degree, the actual number of weeks of leave, multiplied by 2, can be deducted from your PhD age. Only documented parental leave can be deducted. Documentation is typically a letter from the employing institution at the time of parental leave. Please upload the documentation together with your PhD diploma.

The proposed research project must be aligned with the research scope, the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following seven criteria. Each criterion is given equal weight:

1. Applicant Quality

• Prior academic achievements and performance
• Data science and programming experience
• Motivation and creativity
• Research experience
• References
• Publications

2. Scientific Independency and Collaboration

• Does the research project contribute to the candidate’s scientific profile and his/her development as a data science researcher, including the development into an independent researcher?
• Has the candidate established national and international collaborations outside his/her own research group/institution (e.g., co-authored publications, co-applications for grants, joint contributions to scientific meetings, research exchanges)?

3. Research Quality (novelty, originality, motivation)

• Is the proposed research idea novel?
• Are stated research hypotheses consistent and appropriate?
• Is the state-of-the-art of the relevant research field adequately described?
• Is the proposed research likely to produce exciting new knowledge?
• Is the proposed project sufficiently focused?

4. Research impact (on e.g., academic, cultural, societal, economic, health or environmental issues)

• Is the proposed new knowledge generated useful across scientific domains?
• Will the proposed research have a high impact? E.g., generate new scientific paradigms or facilitate new analyses that are likely to lead to novel important insights?
• Will the proposed research impact (multiple) research fields within the DDSA postdoc research scope?

5. Feasibility (the likelihood for the project to obtain the goals envisioned)

• Is the proposed project technically feasible?
• Is the relevant data available and accessible to conduct the proposed research
• Is the research described realistic given the resources available (applicant + hosting institution)
• Is there access to necessary computing resources, equipment, etc.?
• Are potential ethical aspects satisfactorily addressed where relevant?

6. Collaboration (the combined quality of the research team (applicant and supervisor) and the broader research environment at the hosting institution)

• Is there a high synergy between applicant experience and hosting scientific environment?
• Is collaboration cross-disciplinary?
• Is there adequate scientific quality available in the hosting scientific environment to realize the proposed research project?
• What is the level of scientific excellence of the hosting environment?
• Is the synergy of applicant and hosting environment well argued in the application?

7. Alignment with the scope of DDSA

• Is the proposed research within the DDSA postdoc research scope?
• Does the proposal support the creating of a scientific community within data science in Denmark?

The evaluation and selection process are conducted by the DDSA Fellowship Evaluation Committee (FEC) consisting of six international members and six Danish members. The process is divided into two steps:

1. Scientific Evaluation: Each application is individually evaluated by up to four assessors, followed by a full committee discussion meeting. Based on the discussion of applicants, FEC selects 12 candidates for interview.
2. Candidate Interview: 12 candidates are invited to present their project proposals in a 15-minute virtual interview. Based on this, FEC recommends 6 grant recipients for the DDSA Board of Directors’ approval.

Please note that interviews will be conducted during week 21 in May 2025.

Applicants not invited for interview will be informed by ultimo May 2025. Applicants will receive numerical feedback only.

Candidates invited for interview but not selected for a fellowship will receive brief individual feedback on the proposed research project as well as the interview performance medio June 2025.

Candidates awarded a postdoc fellowship will primo June 2025, receive a phone call followed by a grant agreement specifying the grant conditions.

The DDSA Postdoc Fellowship

The fellowship (DKK 1,300,000 + 5% administrative cost, amounting to a total of DKK 1,365,000) is expected to cover two years of salary, as well as relevant travel – and operational costs. The grant may only be used for the specific project applied for.

If the total cost of the postdoc project should exceed the fixed amount granted, the host institution is expected to cover such additional expenses.

If the applicant receives another grant covering salary for the same project as described in the application to DDSA, DDSA reserves the right to withdraw the postdoc fellowship.

Please note that DDSA does not fund industrial postdocs.

The Research Project

The research project must be conducted in agreement with “The Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity”.

Employment

Employment is for two years at the host institution where the research project is to be carried out. The host institution must be a Danish research institution (e.g., university or hospital). 

Employment must be prior to December 15, 2025. If this is not achieved, the fellowship will be retracted, unless otherwise agreed with DDSA.

Postdocs will receive a monthly salary during the employment period. Terms of employment and salary are according to the agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the Danish Ministry of Finance.

Further inquiries about employment must be directed towards the hosting institution.

Inquiries about residence permits must be directed towards the hosting institution.

Most Danish universities have information sites for international staff about living and working as a researcher in Denmark.

See for example:

• Aalborg University
• University of Aarhus
• Copenhagen Business School
• University of Copenhagen
• IT University of Denmark
• Roskilde University
• University of Southern Denmark
• Technical University of Denmark

For further information about the DDSA Postdoc Fellowship, please contact the DDSA secretariat at secretariat@ddsa.dk.