Open Call: AIAS-AUFF Fellowship Programme

Deadline: 03-Nov-2026

The Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (AIAS) is inviting applications for up to 10 AIAS-AUFF Fellowships, offering 23-month salaried positions for postdoctoral researchers from any academic discipline to undertake interdisciplinary research in Denmark. The fellowship programme provides researchers with an opportunity to develop their own research projects within an intellectually stimulating environment at Aarhus University. Fellows work alongside researchers from different disciplines, encouraging cross-disciplinary inspiration, collaboration, and innovative research.

About the AIAS-AUFF Fellowship Programme

The AIAS-AUFF Fellowship Programme is hosted by the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and is designed to bring excellent researchers from diverse academic disciplines together.

The programme encourages fellows to:

- Pursue their own research projects. - Engage with researchers from different academic fields. - Develop interdisciplinary collaborations. - Participate in the academic life of AIAS. - Exchange ideas across disciplines. - Build research networks within Aarhus University. - Explore opportunities for innovative and cross-disciplinary research. The programme supports both individual and thematic group fellowships, creating opportunities for researchers to connect with departments and research hubs across Aarhus University. 23-Month Salaried Research Fellowship Up to 10 fellowships are available, with each fellowship providing a 23-month salaried position. Rather than providing only a short-term research grant, the programme offers fellows employment-based support while they develop and pursue their research projects at AIAS. Fellows are expected to be physically based at the institute in Aarhus, Denmark, throughout their fellowship and participate actively in its academic environment. Interdisciplinary Research at Aarhus University Interdisciplinary research is central to the AIAS-AUFF Fellowship Programme. Applicants must propose an interdisciplinary research project and demonstrate potential for collaboration at Aarhus University. The programme creates opportunities for researchers to interact with colleagues working in different fields. These interactions can provide new perspectives, encourage intellectual exchange, and support innovative research outcomes. Fellows can also develop connections across different departments and research hubs at Aarhus University. Academic Life and Fellowship Participation Fellows are expected to actively participate in the academic life of AIAS.

This includes involvement in:

- Joint research activities. - Academic events. - Workshops. - Interdisciplinary discussions. - Networking and collaboration opportunities. Physical presence at AIAS is an important part of the fellowship because the programme is designed around interaction and intellectual exchange among researchers. Individual and Thematic Group Fellowships The programme supports both individual and thematic group fellowships. Individual fellows can focus on their own interdisciplinary research projects while participating in the wider AIAS research environment. Thematic group fellowships provide opportunities for researchers to work around shared themes and develop stronger connections across disciplines. Both approaches support networking and collaboration across Aarhus University’s academic departments and research hubs. Who Can Apply for the AIAS-AUFF Fellowship? The fellowship is open to researchers of any nationality who meet the postdoctoral experience and residency requirements.

Applicants must:

- Be researchers from any nationality. - Have between 2 and 10 years of postdoctoral experience by the application deadline. - Have not resided or carried out their main activity in Denmark for more than 12 months during the two years before the application deadline. - Propose an interdisciplinary research project. - Demonstrate potential for collaboration at Aarhus University. Applicants should carefully assess their eligibility based on their postdoctoral experience and previous residence or main activity in Denmark. Postdoctoral Experience Requirement Applicants must have between 2 and 10 years of postdoctoral experience by the application deadline. The programme also takes eligible career breaks into account when calculating postdoctoral experience.

This includes career breaks such as:

- Parental leave. - Sick leave. Accounting for these periods helps ensure that researchers are assessed fairly when determining their eligibility. Denmark Residency Requirement Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in Denmark for more than 12 months in the two years immediately preceding the application deadline. This requirement is intended to support the programme’s international and outward-looking character by bringing researchers from outside the recent Danish research environment to AIAS. Applicants should carefully calculate their previous residence and main professional activity in Denmark before applying. Interdisciplinary Project Requirement Applicants must propose an interdisciplinary research project. The proposal should demonstrate how the research can benefit from interaction across academic disciplines and how the applicant can contribute to the intellectual environment at AIAS. Applicants should also demonstrate their potential for collaboration with researchers at Aarhus University. Salary and Financial Support AIAS-AUFF Fellows receive a full salary based on seniority according to Danish collective agreements. In addition to the salary, the fellowship provides several forms of financial and practical support.

Support includes:

- Full salary based on seniority. - Relocation travel costs. - Visa and work permit fee coverage. - Relocation assistance. - Office space. - Conference and travel budgets. - Limited research funding where essential for data collection. The combination of salary, relocation assistance, workplace resourc