Application Procedure

 

 

4 Different types of financing

Applications for admission to the PhD program are always submitted to the Graduate school of Life Sciences through a prospective supervisor and her/his department. There are basically four different ways to apply, depending on the funding mechanism:

 

1. Ordinary scholarships
2. Strategic scholarships
3. The Industrial PhD Programme
4. Self financed

1. Applying for an ordinary scholarship

A number of fully financed Faculty of LIFE Science scholarships (ordinary scholarships) are available and these are advertised four times a year (Feb, May, Aug, Nov) on our list of vacant positions. Normally they are announced 4-6 weeks before the application deadline. These scholarships are open to all research topics within the scope of the Faculty, provided that you can find a prospective supervisor who is willing to accept you as a PhD student. 

 

The ordinary scholarships are highly competitive and prospective supervisors only allow the very best candidates to apply. For these scholarships the application for admission is associated with the application for the scholarship, and as successful applicant you will be employed as the scholarship holder. Use forms F1 (Application for admission and/or LIFE scholarship) and F2 (PhD Study Plan). The PhD Study Plan is completed in collaboration with the prospective supervisor. 

  

2. Applying for a strategic scholarship

Strategic scholarships (or 'special scholarships') are usually fully funded or partly funded through a research project, which has its own objectives and deadlines to fulfil. Therefore the strategic scholarships are advertised with a project title, a project description, and a named supervisor at our list of vacant positions. To qualify for these scholarships, the applicant must have experience relevant to the project in addition to other research qualifications. Competition for the strategic scholarships depends on the field of applicants. Applying for a strategic scholarship is a two-step process. The first step is to apply for a job (follow the guidelines in the announcement) and all the qualified applicants will be interviewed (possibly over the phone, Skype or video link if the applicant lives abroad). Secondly, the selected candidate should apply for admission to the PhD program. The forms F1 (Application for admission and/or LIFE scholarship) and F2 (PhD Study Plan) are completed (see Forms). 

 

3. The Industrial PhD Programme

An Industrial PhD project is a special, company-focused PhD project. The project is conducted in cooperation between a private company, a PhD student and a university.

The student is employed and paid by the private company. The Danish Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation pays a subsidy to both the company and the university. As an applicant for the Industrial PhD programme, you must have a weighted average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the entire Msc and have earned at least a 10 for a final thesis or examination project.

To get started it is a good idea to consider what specific areas or projects you will be interested in. On the basis of this, you need to find a supervisor and talk to him/her about the opportunities for following the Industrial PhD Programme. The next step is to find a potential company and together you must define and describe a specific research project.

Applications are sent by the university to the Danish Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation four times each year.

 

To get more information about the programme, please follow the links below:

· Application deadlines, guidelines and facts about the programme - The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation

· Specific questions related to applications - LIFE’s Business Affairs

 

4. Self-financed students applying for admission

If it is possible for you to apply for funding from your own government, a company, your current employer or other fellowship schemes, you should make an application for admission based on a single research topic.  It is up to you to find a prospective supervisor who is willing to accept you as a PhD student. The prospective supervisor holds an interview with the applicant and a summary of the interview is enclosed with the application to account for the applicant's qualifications and suitability for the PhD study.

 

The application for admission must include the required information for the assessment of the applicant's professional qualifications, a PhD Study Plan and a finance plan. The LIFE application form F1 (Application for admission and/or LIFE scholarship) and form F2 (PhD Study Plan) are used. The party financing the PhD study must provide resources for the following activities:

• Scholarship for the PhD student
• Direct project costs (including stays abroad)
• Supervision (including instruction in teaching and similar activities)
• The holding of PhD courses
• Administration (including assessment, examination etc.)

Expenses for living in Denmark require a minimum monthly grant of approximately 7,000 DKK for a single and 10,000 DKK for couples without children, including health insurance and “third party liability” insurance. Documentation for sufficient scholarship is required. Please see the financial guidelines for further information. 

 

Finding a supervisor

Browse the LIFE website via departments to find researchers in your field of interest. You can contact supervisors directly or you can go through the PhD coordinator at the relevant department or through an assistant at the relevant research school.

 

Go to Contacts to find a list of Research schools.

 

PhD programmes

We offer two different programmes: 4 + 4  and 5 +3:

• The 5 + 3 years programme (regular PhD student) is for graduates with a relevant MSc or equivalent. This is by far the most common type of PhD programme and it allows 3 years of full-time PhD study. More about the 5 + 3 programme   
• The 4 + 4 years programme is for students who want to combine their MSc and PhD studies. The 4 + 4 programme allows students with a relevant bachelor's degree (BSc) plus one year of relevant MSc studies to start at a combined MSc and PhD degree programme. This entry allows 4 years of full-time studies. More about the 4 + 4 programme