The application will be evaluated on the following:

1. The candidate's personal and academic qualifications:

• Research experience (in relation to the length of the actual research time available) including participation in journal clubs and conferences and publications (accepted and/or published)
• The candidate’s part in developing the project
• Grades
• Extracurricular activities - athletics, employment, hobbies, volunteering etc (activities that require persistence, time management, leadership)
• Motivation
• Match between the candidate’s qualifications and the proposed research project
• Other qualifications

2. The project's scientific quality:

• The project's originality and innovative aspects
• The scientific level of the project - Research question: Relevant to the field of study? Clear and specific? Answerable by empirical evidence? Hypothesis: Based on existing evidence? Clear, coherent, precise? Methodology: Suits the research question and hypothesis. Appropriate, transparent, replicable? Addresses limitations.
• Justification of the project in relation to the newest knowledge in the field and description of the proposed contribution to knowledge
• Is the project sufficiently powered for the research question? Is there a description of alternative possible solutions to the raised scientific question (contingency plans)?
• The standard and volume of the project –is there sufficient scientific weight to equal 3 years of scientific work? And is it feasible within 3 years?
• Ethical considerations
• Clarity and coherence of the project description and the proposed research plan
• The project description should be understandable by researchers outside the field

3. Supervisor, environment, PhD education:

• The scientific environment including:

1. how the main supervisor and co-supervisors contribute to the completion of the PhD study and their availability
2. the alignment of the project with the expertise of the supervisory team, and complementarity of experience and skills within the team
3. how the PhD student is exposed to an international research environment (locally and/or through a research stay abroad)
4. international co-supervisor; co-supervisor's role in and contribution to the project.
5. is the project developed across disciplines (interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary co-operation) and/or sectors (co-operation with the business community, university colleges and other external partners in municipalities and regions)?

• Courses
• Dissemination
• Learning targets
• Plan for mobility, including statement from host institution
• Main supervisor statement

If you apply for a fully financed PhD fellowship, it is expected that you demonstrate that the project incorporates one or more of the strategic criteria:

Your motivation and competences must include a description – if applicable – of how one or more of the strategic criteria mentioned below are incorporated into the project:

• how the PhD student is exposed to an international research environment (international co-supervisor and/or through a research stay abroad) Please be specific – e.g. who is your international co-supervisor and what will be his or her contribution to your project? If you plan to go abroad, when and where are you planning to go and what are the purpose of the stay? Please also upload an invitation letter from the host.
• activities across disciplines (interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary co-operation) and/or sectors (co-operation with the business community, university colleges and other external partners in municipalities and regions)

In addition, applicants considered for a fully financed PhD fellowship are expected to show commitment to the Faculty and the Graduate School of Health by taking on at least one task/active role related to the PhD education.

Your motivation and competences must include a description of how you plan to show commitment. The tasks include:

• Member of the PhD Committee in minimum one year
• Active member of the PhD association
• Being part of the Organizing Committee planning the PhD Day
• Participation in the NorDoc PhD Summit and reporting back to the Graduate School of Health
• Writing a column for the Graduate School of Health’s monthly letter about a topic of current interest
• Participation in the Annual meeting on PhD education (Forum For Forskeruddannelse)

PhD applications for enrolment only are assessed by the head of graduate programmes. 

PhD applications for fully financed PhD fellowship and partial funding are assessed by the Stipend Committee.

Assessment process

The applications are evaluated according to the following weighting:

1. The candidate's personal and academic qualifications (50%)
2. The project's scientific quality (30%)
3. Supervisor, environment and PhD education (20%)

See the assessment criteria above. 

Based on the assessments, a number of applicants who have applied for a fully financed PhD fellowship will be invited for interviews. The invited candidates' applications will be discussed at an allocation meeting and recommendations for faculty fellowships will be made to the Dean of the Faculty of Health.

The final decision regarding admission is made by the Head of The Graduate School. 
The final decision regarding faculty fellowships is made by the Dean.

The decisions are final.   

Funding from the department

After all applications for fully financed PhD fellowships and partial funding have been assessed, the graduate school sends the applications to the relevant department. 

The departments can grant relevant PhD projects approved for enrolment financial support according to their own guidelines. If you have questions about partial funding from the department and their process, please contact the relevant department.

The Stipend Committee and the rules on disqualification

The Stipend Committee is subject to the special rules on disqualification as described in Part 2 of the Danish Public Administration Act (Forvaltningsloven).

This means that a member of the committee does not take part in the assessment of an application and an interview if he/she is the main supervisor or co-supervisor of or closely related to an applicant.

If you have applied for a fully fianced PhD fellowship, and you are considered for a fellowship, you will receive an invitation for an interview. Max. 20 applicants can be invited for interviews, and the Faculty awards ca. 10 fellewships per round. 

The interview will consist of a three-minute pitch/presentation by the candidate and then five minutes for questions. The interview will be conducted in English.

The interviews will take place in late May/late November and it is expected that applicants participate in person. Online participation can be arranged for applicants from abroad.

At the interview the Stipend Committee will be present.

All applicants will get an answer to their application in late May/November.

Applicants can get the following replies to their application:

• Offer of enrolment conditional on external funding
• Offer of enrolment including a fully financed Faculty PhD fellowship
• The application is rejected as not qualified

An offer of enrolment is valid for a year. For recipients of a fully financed PhD fellowship, the offer is only valid for six months.

To be enrolled, you will have to accept the offer of enrolment and document funding by submitting a financial statment. You can be enrolled to the first in a month and you will be enrolled in one of our graduate programmes.

If your application is administratively rejected, you will receive a reply to your application shortly after application deadline. 

Funding from the department

After all applications for fully financed PhD fellowships and partial funding have been assessed, the graduate school sends the applications to the relevant department. The departments can grant relevant PhD projects approved for enrolment financial support according to their own guidelines. If you have questions about partial funding from the department and their process, please contact the relevant department.