Guide for applicants 2024

The PhD project must be prepared in collaboration with at least one university and one university college (consortium), which can have particular priorities in relation to applications. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact a university or a university college as soon as possible to find out more about the application opportunities and any internal deadlines in the individual consortiums. See a list of contact people here (in Danish). 

It is not a prerequisite that the applicant is employed at a university college. The PhD student must, however, be able to teach at the university college during the PhD programme and subsequently be able to engage in research, development and teaching in the educational field.

The application must be made electronically here. A number of appendices must be attached to the electronic application form, which are listed below. The application may be written in either Danish or English. Please note, however, that the application form must contain both a Danish and an English summary.

Format: The maximum number of pages indicated for the individual appendices is based on 2,400 characters including spaces per page. Font: Times New Roman, point-size 12.

Remarks on the application form

All communication regarding the application, the consultation procedure, the funding decision and (if relevant) the administration of funding will take place in the application portal. It is therefore important that all contact details (especially email addresses) are kept up-to-date in the applicant’s profile in the application portal. A copy of the notification of award or rejection will be automatically sent to the applicant’s principal supervisor and supervisor.

1. Applicant
   Appendices:
                    CV
                    Exam certificate
2. Application
   Appendices:
                    Project description
                    Advance approval
                    Collaboration agreement
                    Signed declaration
3. Finance
4. Declaration of consent

Appendix: CV

Length: Max. 2 pages including any list of publications.

The PhD applicant’s CV must include:

• Education
• Current and most recent employment
• Participation in research and development projects (if any)
• Other academically relevant activities
• Publications (if any) 
   

Appendix: Documentation for qualifying examination

Copy of the exam certificate for the qualifying exam, which must include the grade awarded. If the applicant has not completed the qualifying examination at the time of application, a copy of the certificate must be uploaded to the application portal no later than 9 September 2024.

The Universitet & Universitetets navn field: Enter the name of the university that has given advanced approval of the PhD applicant.

The Ph.d.-skole field: Enter the name of the graduate school that has given advanced approval of the PhD applicant.

The Adresse field: Enter the postal address of the graduate school

The Professionshøjskole field: Select the collaborating university college in the drop-down menu

The Project summary (Danish) field: The summary must be formulated in language that is easy to understand. The summary will be used in connection with the selection of assessors and will also be used for publication in connection with any grant. The summary must not exceed 500 characters.

The Five academic keywords field: Enter five keywords or concepts that characterise the project. The keywords will be used, for example, in the selection of assessors.

The Project summary (English) field: The summary must be formulated in language that is easy to understand. The summary will be used in connection with the selection of assessors and will also be used for publication in connection with any grant. The summary must not exceed 500 characters.
 

Appendix: Project description

Font: Times New Roman, point-size 12

Length: Max. 14,400 characters including spaces and excluding the bibliography. Please note: A figure counts as 750 characters, and the contents of a table is included in the number of characters.

Please state number of characters including spaces on the front page of the project description.

The project description MUST include the following elements:

• Topic and research question
  • Including the project objectives and any working hypotheses

• Methodology and research design
  • The application must clearly state the connection between the project’s research question, methodology, empirical data and analysis strategy and the forms of knowledge, understanding and theory it will produce, as well as how this can qualify the research and make the project relevant for other contexts of folkeskole practice than that in which it was conducted.

• Theoretical and empirical basis
  • Theoretical basis
  • Status of national and international research in the area as well as how the project will contribute new knowledge.
• Ethical considerations
  • Thorough and comprehensive ethical considerations, in addition to formal requirements and legislation, and if possible including how these will be handled, all of which must be specific to the project’s research question and the participants involved.
• Knowledge transfer
  • The plan for knowledge transfer must include a clear and justified account of how the knowledge generated in the project will benefit folkeskole practice, as well as a reflection on the project’s relevant target groups, both within and outside the academic community.
  • The plan must include specific suggestions for knowledge transfer activities other than the applicant’s teaching activities at the institution at which he/she is employed and the texts included in the PhD thesis.

• Research abroad
  • Considerations around when and how the period of research abroad will be integrated into the overall project.

• Time and activity plan

It is important that all of the above topics are addressed in the project description, as they will form part of the assessment.
 

Appendix: Advance approval

Length: Max. 1 page.

This appendix must confirm that the PhD applicant has advance approval from the relevant graduate school. Any questions regarding advance approval (e.g. credit transfer and applicants who have not completed their final Master’s degree examination at the time of application) must be directed to the graduate school.
 

Appendix: Collaboration agreement

Length: Max. 2 pages.

The collaboration agreement must account for the collaboration between the university(ies) and university college(s) in connection with the PhD project. In addition, the appendix must contain all relevant information on the PhD applicant’s place of employment, work assignments and supervision.

Please note the Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions (PhD Order) https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2021/1403
 

Appendix: Signed declaration form

The applicants (the university, the university college and the PhD applicant) must sign a declaration form stating that all the details in the application are correct. The declaration form can be found on www.phdraadetforuddannelsesforskning.dk

Budget

Funding to cover the expenses directly attributed to the project in question, which are relevant and necessary for the completion of the project, can be applied for. Additionally, an overhead should be added. For public research institutions, this amounts to 44 percent of the direct costs. Additionally, an overhead should be added. For public research institutions, this amounts to 44 percent of the direct costs.

Remarks on the budget form

The PhD applicant, salary field: Enter the actual salary expenses in accordance with the PhD applicant’s pay level. The amount must state the total salary expenses, including holiday pay and pension, etc. Please state the PhD applicant’s pay level under 'Details of budget items'.

Please note that this amount cannot exceed DKK 1,450,000.

The PhD applicant, education subsidy field: The standard rate is DKK 50,000 per year, i.e. a maximum total of DKK 150,000.

The PhD applicant, conferences/travel, etc. field: Enter the budgeted costs of the PhD applicant’s participation in conferences, study trips, etc. Please provide further details under 'Details of budget items'. Remember to include the period of research abroad. It is not possible to apply for funding for the assessment of the PhD thesis. Please note that this amount cannot exceed DKK 100,000.

The Research expenses, compensation etc. (DKK) field: When applying for a fellowship, it is possible to apply for a research grant so that the PhD programme can be completed as part of a larger research project carried out in collaboration between a university and a university college. Enter any research and compensation expenses incurred in direct conjunction with the individual PhD project.

This item can be used to apply for funds towards the PhD student’s active participation in major research projects that are directly relevant for the specific PhD project, such as support for data processing. It is not possible to apply for workload reductions for associate professors/professors at the university or university college or for general networking activities, etc.

Furthermore, it is possible to apply for funding for any additional expenses in the form of compensation to participating primary and lower secondary schools (folkeskoler) and other institutions as well as expenses incurred in connection with open access publication.

Please provide further details of these expenses under ‘Details of budget items.’

The Indirect costs, overhead 44% field: Enter 44% of the total amount for the fields PhD applicant, salary; PhD applicant, education subsidy; PhD applicant, conferences/travel, etc. and Research expenses, compensation, etc.

The Amount applied for field: Enter the total budget including the overhead.

Complete the declaration of consent and then send the application by clicking on send application.

Any appendices attached to the application in addition to those listed above will be deleted before the application is sent for assessment and will therefore not be included in the assessment process.

The deadline for applications is Wednesday 22 May 2024 at 12.00 noon.

• Go to https://phdraadetforuddannelsesforskning.grant.nu/profile/
• Create a profile using a valid email address and a personal password.
• Once the applicant has been registered, the application can be accessed and edited until it is submitted.
• Please note that each text box in the application form can only contain a specified number of characters (as described in these application guidelines).
• All steps must be completed and all files must be uploaded before the application is submitted. All files must be uploaded in PDF format.
• Once submitted, the application can no longer be edited and can only be viewed in its submitted version.
• The application system can be accessed in any browser, including on mobile devices.
• The applicant will receive an automatically generated email receipt from the system once the application has been sent successfully.

Please note that all files must be uploaded in PDF format. The PDF files must be generated directly and not by scanning any printed versions of the appendices. Only the signed declaration form and exam certificate may be scanned.

An application may be rejected without active consideration if any of the formal requirements or deadlines stated in the call for proposals are not complied with.

Assessment of applications is based on the evaluation criteria stated in the call for proposals. All applications will be sent for external assessment by – normally three – internationally recognised researchers selected by the Danish Research Council. Applicants will be given the opportunity to comment on these assessments during a period of consultation. Decisions on any grants are made in the PhD Council. The external assessments and any responses arising from the period of consultation will be included in this process as part of the total basis for the assessment.

The application deadline is 22 May 2024 at 12.00 noon.

External assessment: June-August 2024

Consultation period: August-September 2024

Review in the PhD Council: October 2024

Expected notification of award or rejection: Early November 2024

For further information, please contact the PhD Council secretariat, Aarhus University:

Jane Chor
jchor@au.dk
+ 45 2165 6715

Further information can be found on www.phdraadetforuddannelsesforskning.dk including: 

• Call for papers 2024

• Appendix 2 of the Danish government’s globalisation agreement (in Danish)

• The PhD Order (in Danish)