Villum Foundation wishes to strengthen interdisciplinary research in Denmark with an initiative focusing on the interdisciplinary field of data-driven science.
The point of departure for the Villum Synergy programme lies in the research opportunities at the interface between computer science and other disciplines.
Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and big data call for interdisciplinary collaborations that combine expertise in computer science with other fields, including the technical and natural sciences, the humanities and the social sciences.
The projects must involve two Principal Investigators (PIs), both of whom are permanent employees at Danish universities:
As an applicant, you can only be a PI on one application.
The programme is announced every year in open competition.
You can apply for grants ranging from DKK 2-3 million for initiation projects to kick-start new collaborations, or grants of DKK 10-20 million for well-established collaborations that could benefit from a large grant. All grant amounts include up to 15% to cover indirect project costs.
Initiation projects can run for up to two years. Full projects can run for three to five years.
Typically, the period from application deadline to grant approval will be 6-8 months.
Applications that meet the conditions are assessed based on scientific excellence. The applications are assessed by a scientific committee and granted by the board of The Villum Foundation on the basis of their recommendation.
Large projects are assessed in a two stage process. Applications that go to the second round will be sent for external peer review, followed by an interview with the scientific committee.