News about Grants

Metabolism as a hidden architect of embryonic neurodevelopment

Can metabolism shape embryo neurodevelopment? Assistant Professor Eleni Kafkia from reNEW Copenhagen has been awarded a Lundbeck Experiment Grant to explore this fundamental question.

Professor Nutan Limaye receives DKK 12.8 million for research on algebraic complexity

The project explores fundamental limits of efficient computation, linking algebraic methods with randomness and parallelism to advance complexity theory.

Danida awards grant for Ole Mertz and colleagues

Grant to GeoAI training between Denmark, Rwanda, and South Africa for Professor Ole Mertz and colleagues.

New Nordic collaboration to reveal linked mechanisms of age-related fatty liver and muscle loss

More than half of over-60-year-olds suffer from more than one chronic disease, reducing their independence and quality of life.

Villum Foundation grants for the next generation of research leaders

3 talented researchers from NBI, Shingo Kono, Giulia Perotti and Andrew Chael awarded Villum Young Investigator grants. They now have the opportunity to challenge the status quo and build bridges to new discoveries.

Proof of Concept grant to explore innovative research

Postdoc Søren Blikdal Hansen has been awarded an innovation grant from the University of Copenhagen’s Proof of Concept Fund, providing time and resources to further develop an analysis method originating from his PhD…

Securing Pathways to Longevity: HUM:Global Flagship Initiatives

We are delighted to announce that two of our 2024 HUM:Global Flagship Initiatives have secured additional external funding and support which ensure that these projects can extend their own and HUM:Global’s lifespan.

Nina Grønlykke Mollerup receives ERC Consolidator Grant

Nina Grønlykke Mollerup receives ERC Consolidator Grant for the project Before the Image: The Political Ontology of Image-Making for Legal and Social Justice.

Víctor Moreno-Mayar selected as EMBO Young Investigator

Assistant Professor J. Víctor Moreno-Mayar, at Globe Institute, Section for GeoGenetics has been selected as one of 28 new EMBO Young Investigators, joining an international network of emerging leaders in the life…

Prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant to Associate Professor Joanna Bergström

Her new project aims to build the first scientific foundation for how humans learn to control virtual bodies – unlocking safer, more effective, and more immersive VR experiences with wide societal impact.

Peter Haahr receives “Young Talented Cancer Researcher Award” from the Danish Cancer Society

Peter Haahr, Group Leader at the Center for Gene Expression (CGEN), has received the Young Talented Cancer Researcher Award from the Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse). The award is made possible through the…

CAISA receives large-scale funding for collaboration on infrastructure and research on responsible AI

The National Centre for AI in Society (CAISA) is receiving 45 million Danish kroner from the Danish research reserve for a new AI collaboration with Statistics Denmark. This has been confirmed after the parties behind…

Congratulations to Jesper Velgaard Olsen

Jesper Velgaard Olsen and colleagues have received an ERC Synergy Grant for ADIPOhealth, a project exploring how adipose tissue influences heart health and disease to uncover new therapeutic targets for cardiometabolic…

New ERC Synergy Project to Pave the Way for Future Photonic Quantum Technology

Researchers from three European universities join forces to develop scalable quantum hardware based on quantum dots.

Can AI understand culture, biology and irony? Four research projects receive millions in funding

Can language models learn to understand culture and irony? How do language models actually arrive at the answers they give?

Congratulations to Jesper Velgaard Olsen

with the ERC Synergy Grant of €2,4 mio

Two DFF–Research Project1 grants awarded to Hajime Hirase and Verena Untiet

Two new research projects from Center for Translational Neuroscience have each received a DFF-Research Project1 grant of 3 million DKK.

Recent funding for VOLT

Two VOLT members from the Ecosystem Ecology group, Kathrin Rousk and Mingye Yuan, received major grants for groundbreaking studies on moss–cyanobacteria interactions and their role in ecosystem evolution.

Reconstructing maize domestication

Assistant Professor Jazmín Ramos Madrigal has been awarded a prestigious grant for her project “Reconstructing the chronology of selection during maize domestication through genotype imputation of ancient genomes.”

It stays in the family – Villum grant for Susanne and Peter Ditlevsen

Siblings and professors Susanne and Peter Ditlevsen receive Villum Synergy grant to investigate the critical tipping point of AMOC – Atlantic Meridian Overturning Circulation.

Families with children should have more greens on their plates

The research project GreenFamily will investigate the health effects of a more plant-rich diet and make it easier for families with children to follow the Official Dietary Guidelines. The Plant-Based Food Grant supports…

Official Opening of the Copenhagen Center for Glycocalyx Research

On 9 October 2025, the new Copenhagen Center for Glycocalyx Research was officially opened with a program of speeches and a reception at the center’s facilities in the Maersk Tower.

From bacterial food sources to cell gene activity: Four new, wild projects

Four bold and innovative ideas from the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen have received a VILLUM Experiment grant.

Stretching the skin to expand knowledge

Can stretching the skin change how we feel touch, pain, and temperature? Surprisingly, yes! Associate Professor Aragona and her team will look into how and why, thanks to the Serendipity Grant Scheme research grant.