Deadline: 15-Jan-2026
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is inviting applications for its Mads Øvlisen PhD Scholarships to give ambitious students the opportunity to pursue a research career within art history research and practice-based artistic research and thereby make a significant contribution to the field of art research in Denmark.
The scholarships run for three years and are awarded to ambitious and talented students with project proposals within the research fields. Please note that project proposals within all research fields must demonstrate relevance for the visual arts as well as for the research environment at the Danish enrolment and/or host institution.
Five scholarships are available for funding within the following four research fields: Two PhD scholarships within art history research, Two PhD scholarships within practice-based art research, A fifth PhD scholarship with an extraordinary potential is awarded to an applicant within any of the above categories regardless of field and era with a project proposal of very high quality.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation offers funding of up to DKK 3.08 million per scholarship for projects lasting up to three years. This funding covers a wide range of eligible expenses, including salary for the fellowship recipient, university tuition fee of up to DKK 80,000 per year, and operational expenses such as books, computers, database access, and museum access.
Applicants may also apply for funding for project-related equipment, publication costs up to DKK 150,000, and conference participation up to DKK 75,000 for registration and travel.
Relocation expenses for applicants from outside Denmark, travel costs for research stays abroad, collaborative activities such as workshops in Denmark, and project supplements for Danish universities are also covered. Bench fees and administrative support are included where applicable, depending on the type of project and host institution.
However, the Foundation will not provide funding for the organisation of large-scale conferences, salary for supervisors, commercial activities, or overhead/indirect costs such as rent, electricity, and maintenance. It also prohibits double funding of projects, requiring applicants to disclose any other sources of funding or overlapping submissions to other institutions.
To be eligible for a Mads Øvlisen PhD scholarship, applicants must have obtained a Master’s degree or equivalent prior to submitting their application. During the PhD programme, candidates must be enrolled at a doctoral degree-awarding institution, such as a university, and be anchored at an administrating host institution in Denmark, where they will be employed and conduct the majority of their work.
The enrolment institution may also serve as the host institution, but other knowledge institutions, including museums and art academies, are also eligible. Both enrolment and hosting letters must be attached to the application.
Applicants should note that some universities and institutions may have internal deadlines that precede the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s application deadline and are therefore encouraged to contact their chosen university and host institution early in the process. Each applicant may submit only one application for a specific purpose or project per calendar year.
Applications will be evaluated by the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Committee on Research in Art & Art History. The assessment will focus primarily on the quality, originality, and theoretical methodology of the project, the applicant’s academic qualifications, and artistic or curatorial qualifications for practice-based projects.
Additionally, evaluators will consider the artistic or curatorial dimension and feasibility of the project, including its relevance to the research environment at the host institution. Applicants are required to provide a detailed project description of up to 10,000 characters including spaces, outlining the purpose, hypothesis, methods, and relevance of the project for the host institution and research field.
For practice-based fellowships, applicants must also describe the artistic or curatorial content and the methods for realisation. The submission must also include a brief project title, a short lay description for non-experts, and up to four illustrative files.
Mandatory appendices include an enrolment agreement, hosting letter, a copy of the master’s degree diploma and transcript, and, for international applicants, a plan demonstrating that more than 50% of the research project will be conducted in Denmark. All documents must be uploaded in PDF format.
The call for applications closes on 15 January 2026 at 2 pm (CET).
For more information, visit Novo Nordisk Foundation.
