Research centres and grants
Each year the many splendid researchers at the Faculty recieve a number of great and prestigious grants for financing research. This results in a broad array of research centres, which all deliver research of a high international quality. More than 40% of the Faculty's yearly budget, which is about 3 billion Danish kr., is financed by external grants and fundings.
The following definition of centres has been established at SCIENCE:
- The faculty's centres must be based on external or internal grants where the grant giver has triggered the funds as a centre grant, or
- The faculty's centres must have external or internal grants of more than DKK 18 million over three years, or DKK 25 million over a five-year period, and
- The faculty's centres must already have a defined start and end date when it is set up.
Researchers at SCIENCE have received a number of prestigious ERC grants, which are shown in the list below, even though they are not actual centre grants.
Danish National Research Foundation
The Faculty of Science hosts seven Centres of Excellence funded by the Danish National Research Foundation. These centres of excellence conduct research at a high international level and constitute a unique framework for world-class research.
Center for Remote Sensing and Deep Learning of Global Tree Resources (TreeSense).
Center of Gravity (CoG)
Leader: Vitor Cardoso, Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2025-2031
The Center of Gravity will bring together research into observations of black holes with formal theory and quantum aspects of gravity, thus completing Bohr's and Einstein's visions for the gravitational interaction.
Center for Volatile Interactions (VOLT)
Leader: Riikka Rinnan, Department of Biology
Funding period: 2023-2029
The Center will investigate the biology of volatile substances and how it responds to climate change.
Center for High Entropy Alloys Catalysis (CHEAC)
Leader: Jan Rossmeisl, Department of Chemistry
Funding period: 2020-2026
This center seeks the purpose of investigating catalysis on high entropy alloys.
Copenhagen Center for Geometry and Topology (GeoTop)
Leader: Nathalie Wahl, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Funding period: 2020-2026
The aim of the center is to solve basic scientific problems such as those in the interface between geometry and typology.
Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
Leader: Sune Toft, Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2018-2028
The Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) is a new international basic research center supported by The Danish National Research Foundation. DAWN is located in Copenhagen by the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, and at the Space division at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Space).
The centre is dedicated to identifying how and when the first galaxies, stars and black holes were formed.
Center for Hybrid Quantum Networks (Hy-Q)
Leader: Professor Peter Lodahl, Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2018-2028
Center for Hybrid Quantum Networks (Hy-Q) uses photons to merge quantum systems into major quantum networks. The long-term purpose of the research is to facilitate large-scale processing of quantum information over global distances. Hy-Q consists of three groups at Niels Bohr Institute, the University of Copenhagen: the Quantum Photonics Group, the Theoretical Quantum Optics Group and the Quantum Phononics Group.
ERC Grants
The European Research Council ERC supports world-class research. The grants are awarded to excellent researchers at different career levels to help build a team around an original and groundbreaking research idea.
ERC awards grants for three career levels: Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant and Advanced Grant. Moreover, there is Synergy Grant, which had been awarded twice in 2011 and 2012, and Proof of Concept, which can be applied for by ERC grant recipients with the aim to commercialise results of the ERC grant. ERC was founded in 2007 and SCIENCE has received 35 grants in total as PI (which means that a SCIENCE-researcher has gotten the grant and is responsible for the project) including a project transferred to SCIENCE after obtained grant. The list below shows ongoing projects.
ERC Starting Grant
ERC Starting Grant is for young talented researchers with 2-7 years of experience. As a starting point 1,5 mill EUR will be awarded over the course of 5 years. From 2007 – 2012 the ERC Starting Grant also comprised of the group, which from 2013 was separated to become ERC Consolidator Grant.
Stefano Paesani
Title: ASPEQT
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2025-2030
Mathias Heltberg
Title: PHOSCIL
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2025-2030
Michael Martin Nielsen
Title: BEYOND
Department: Department of Chemistry
Funding period: 2025-2030
Daniel Stilck França
Title: GIFNEQ
Department: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Funding period: 2025-2030
Iwasa Ryomei
Title: Motivic Stable Homotopy Theory: a New Foundation and a Bridge to p-Adic and Complex Geometry, MOSHOTDepartment: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Funding period: 2024-2029
Morten Holm Christensen
Title: Effects of Spin-orbit Coupling on Superconducting Pairing Interactions, SuperSOCDepartment: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding Period: 2024-2029
Mark Scherz
Title: Genomics of Miniaturisation in Vertebrates, GEMINI
Department: Natural History Museum
Funding Period: 2024-2029
Charlotte Mason
Title: ReIonization and Signatures of Early Stars, RISES
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding Period: 2024-2029
You Zhou
Title: Initial Conditions for Quark and Gluon Matter Formation at the LHC
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2023-2028
Isabelle Augenstein
Title: Explainable and Robust Automatic Fact Checking
Department: Department of Computer Science
Funding period: 2023-2028
Jakob Grunnet Knudsen
Title: Paracrine signalling in alpha cells and the integration of mechanisms that control glucagon secretion
Department: Department of Biology
Funding period: 2023-2028
Alisa Javadi
Title: Photonic Quantum Technologies with Strain-Free Artificial Atoms
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2023-2028
Morten Kjaergaard
Title: Novel Approaches to Error Detection and Protection with Superconducting Qubits
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2023-2028
Laura Mancinska
Title: Quantum Information Processing with Interacting Parties
Department: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Funding period: 2023-2027
Johan Samsing
Title: Dynamical Formation of Black Hole Mergers
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2022-2027
This ERC research program will lead to new ideas and tools to probe in unprecedented ways the origin of binary black hole (BBH) mergers, with particular focus on constraining the dynamical formation of GW sources.
Read more: Black Hole Billiards in the Centers of Galaxies
Amin Doostmohammadi
Title: Physical basis of Collective Mechano-Transduction: Bridging cell decision-making to multicellular selforganisation
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2022-2027
With his ERC Starting Grant, Amin Doostmohammadi will combine physical modelling with biological experiments, examine the role of mechanical forces in the proliferation of cell groups and seek to formulate an integrated view on cellular decision-making that incorporates mechanics as an integral part of the process.
Pétur Orri Heiðarsson
Title: PIONEER
Department: Department of Biology
Funding period: 2021-2028
Leonardo Midolo
Title: Nano-mechanical quantum photonic circuits (NANOMEQ)
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2021-2026
This project is focused on exploring new phenomena and realizing the next generation of programmable quantum devices for computing and secure communication.
ERC Consolidator Grant
ERC Consolidator Grant is aimed at researchers with 7-12 years of experience. As a starting point, maximum 2 mill. EUR will be awarded over the course of five years. ERC Consolidator Grant has existed as an independent grant since 2013. Earlier it was a part of ERC Starting Grant.
Laura Vang Rasmussen
Title: TRANSFORM-FARM
Department: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Funding period: 2026-2031
Joanna Bergström
Title: MOVR
Department: Department of Computer Science
Funding period: 2026-2031
Magdalena Malecka
Title: ENCODED
Department: Department of Science Education
Funding period: 2025-2030
Bulat Ibragimov
Title: AIDose
Department: Department of Computer Science
Funding period: 2025-2030
Elisenda Feliu
Title: Signs, polynomials, and reaction networks
Department: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Funding period: 2023-2027
Irene Tamborra
Title: Neutrino Quantum Kinetics
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2023-2028
Read more: Irene Tamborra receives grant to investigate the unknowns of neutron star mergers
Mette Burmølle
Title: BioMatrix, The biofilm matrix and its functional role in the ecology of bacterial communities
Department: Department of Biology
Funding period: 2021-2026
Albert Schliesser
Title: Phononic Quantum Sensors
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2021-2026
Albert Schliesser’s research group has been known for pioneering studies on measuring and controlling motion with high precision, and the group has invented thin membranes with a special “phononic” pattern of perforations, whose vibrations can be controlled particularly precisely.This project aims to explore the development of such devices into a sensor platform capable of detecting forces with unprecedented precision. Potential impact covers both basic quantum research and applications in technology, and range from fundamental tests of quantum mechanics to novel approaches to nanoscale microscopy.
Read more: ERC grant to develop phononic quantum sensors at the Niels Bohr Institute
Gemma Solomon
Title: QLIMIT: Challenging The Limits Of Molecular Quantum Interference Effects
Department: Department of Chemistry
Funding period: 2019-2026
ERC Advanced Grant
ERC Advanced Grant is targeted top researchers. The grants amount to up to 2,5 mill. EUR over the course of five years.
Peter Brodersen
Title: PLARNASENS
Department: Department of Biology
Funding period: 2025-2030
Søren Fournais
Title: MathBEC - Mathematics of Bose-Einstein Condensation
Department: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Funding period: 2023-2028
ERC Synergy Grant
ERC Synergy Grant has so far only been awarded twice and very few grants. It is awarded to a collaboration of 2-4 researchers at same level as the other ERC grants.
Anders Sørensen og Peter Lodahl
Title: PHOQUS
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2025-2031
Maarten van de Meent
Title: Making Sense of the Unexpected in the Gravitational-Wave Sky (GWSky)
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2024-2030
In order to better exploit the increasing precision of future gravitational wave detectors, the project will investigate how progress is made in the theoretical description of black holes, the gravitational waves they emit, their cosmic environment and physics beyond the Standard Model.
Read more: Maarten van de Meent awarded ERC Synergy grant
Jan Rossmeisl
Title: Directed Evolution of Metastable Electrocatalyst Interfaces for Energy Conversion (DEMI)
Department: Department of Chemistry
Funding period: 2023-2029
The project aims to gain knowledge and in the long term develop a new class of catalyst materials.
Read more: Major EU grant will make metal alloys the catalysts of the future
Kresten Lindorff-Larsen
Title: DynaPLIX
Department: Department of Biology
Funding period: 2023-2029
The project aims to map the dynamic transition states of proteins that occur when they interact with molecules. By utilizing various measurement methods, the project will investigate the structure and energy states in viral proteins when they bind to cellular molecules similar to those found in medicine.
Read more (Danish): Stort forskningsprojekt undersøger hvordan det ser ud, når proteiner fra HIV og coronavirus binder til medicin
Karsten Flensberg, Ferdinand Kuemmeth, Martin Leijnse og Charles Marcus
Title: Foundations of nonlocal and nonabelian condensed-matter systems
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2020-2027
This project is about figuring out if the Majorana particle can be useful in quantum computers taking over the heavy calculation tasks by disrupting the fixed limitations of normal computers. The Majorana particle may be a determining factor, as it is believed, that it can remember information better than regular transistors.
Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, Anders Svensson og Darach Watson
Title: GREEN2ICE
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2023-2029
The project GREENICE has received 103 million DKK from ERC synergy, of which 63 million goes to the University of Copenhagen. Through analyses of ice cores, researchers will be able to find answers and learn more about the climate change of the future, by looking back in the past.
According to Professor Dorthe Dahl-Jensen, this is not only a case of exotic basic research, but this will result in essential knowledge about how resilient the ice cap is to climate change.
Read more (Danish): Forskning i Grønlands ældste is og Universets tunge stjerner får kæmpe EU-bevillinger
Darach Watson
Title: HEAVYMETAL
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Funding period: 2023-2029
The researchers behind HEAVY METAL investigate how the heavy elements are physically formed, on which there does not exist a fully supported answer. The project has received an ERC Synergy grant of almost DKK 84 Mio, of which DKK 22 Mio goes to Darach Watson from the Niels Bohr Institute.
HEAVY METAL has gathered four research groups in an international team of the world's leading experts within their respective fields. In addition to Darach Watson, who is the group leader in Copenhagen, Andreas Bauswein is head of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Germany, Padraig Dunne management team from University College Dublin in Ireland and the Stuart Sim group from Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Read more (Danish): Forskning i Grønlands ældste is og Universets tunge stjerner får kæmpe EU-bevillinger
VILLUM Fonden
The VILLUM Foundation supports research at an international high class level through different programmes.
Villum Investigator
VILLUM Investigator is targeted researchers at an international top level. The grants can be up to 40 million DKK for a period of 6 years.
Jan Philip Solovej
Title: Mathematics of Quantum Matter and Quantum Processes
Department: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Contact: solovej@math.ku.dk
Charlotte Fløe Kristjansen
Title: Quantum Quenches from Quantum Field Theory
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Contact: kristjansen@nbi.ku.dk
Kasper Hornbæk
Title: Theoretical Research in Human-Computer Interaction
Department: Department of Computer Science
Contact: kash@di.ku.dk
Mikkel Thorup
Title: Basic Algorithms Research Copenhagen (BARC)
Department: Department of Computer Science
Contact: mthorup@di.ku.dk
Staffan Persson
Title: Engineering plant cell walls
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: plen@plen.ku.dk
Jens Hjorth
Title: Time in astrophysics
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Contact: jens@dark-cosmology.dk
Barbara Ann Halkier
Title: Transportomics in plants
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: bah@plen.ku.dk
Victor Cardoso
Title: Illumination of the dark universe with gravitational waves
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Contact: eksp-blv@nbi.ku.dk
Novo Nordisk Foundation
The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports a series of projects seeking to benefit people and society.
Challenge Programme
The Challenge Programme aims at supporting outstanding researchers working within specific themes that may slightly vary from year to year. On an annual basis, DKK 360 million are awarded, in which up to six grants can receive DKK 60 million each.
Søren Husted
Title: Biocompatible nanofertilizers for targeted delivery and programmed release of essential mineral ions in crops
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: shu@plen.ku.dk
Paul Neve
Title: One Crop Health for Next Generation Crop Protection
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: pbneve@plen.ku.dk
Nina Cedergreen
Title: ENSAFE: ENvironmental SAFEty of biotechnological plant protection products based on short interfering RNA and peptides
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: ncf@plen.ku.dk
Søren Sørensen
Title: Evaluating Microbiome Based Applications for Risk Quantification
Department: Department of Biology
Contact: sjs@bio.ku.dk
Hans Thordal-Christensen
Title: A new paradigm for disease-free crops of tomorrow
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: htc@plen.ku.dk
Michael Broberg Palmgren
Title: NovoCrops: Accelerated domestication of resilient climate-change friendly plant species
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: palmgren@plen.ku.dk
Per Gundersen
Title: Silva Nova – Restoring soil biology and soil functions to gain multiple benefits in new forests
Department: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Contact: pgu@ign.ku.dk
Katja S. Johansen
Title: Oxygen Constraints on Microbial Secretomes during Plant Cell Wall Turnover’ (OxyMiST)
Department: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Contact: ksj@ign.ku.dk
Peter Lodahl
Title: Solid-state quantum simulators for biochemistry’ (Solid-Q)
Department: Niels Bohr Institute
Contact: lodahl@nbi.ku.dk
Matthias Christandl
Title: Quantum for life
Department: Department of Mathematical Sciences
Contact: christandl@math.ku.dk
Marianne Nissen Lund
Title: SEEDFOOD: Functional and palatable plant seed storage proteins for sustainable foods
Department: Department of Food Science
Contact: mnl@food.ku.dk
Dennis Sandris Nielsen
Title: PROFERMENT: Solid-state fermentations for protein transformations and palatability of plant-based foods
Department: Department of Food Science
Contact: dn@food.ku.dk
Guy Schurgers
Title: Global Wetland Center
Department: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management
Contact: gusc@ign.ku.dk
NNF RECRUIT - Grants for international recruitment
Remko Boom
Title: Remko Boom - RECRUIT
Department: Department of Food Science
Contact: remko.boom@food.ku.dk
Laureate Research Grant
The Laureate Research Grant is targeted established researchers with a research group that she/he has been in charge of for more than seven years. Research must be conducted within the field of biomedicine or biotechnology.
Staffan Persson
Title: Improving carbon allocation in grains through bio-engineering
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: staffan.persson@plen.ku.dk
National Research Infrastructure Programme
The programme supports Danish research environment with grants of DKK 5-25 million during a period of up to five years. The research environments that NNF are mainly focusing on are; biomedicine, biotechnology, and natural and technical sciences.
Alexander Schulz
Title: Center for Advanced Bioimaging
Department: Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Contact: als@plen.ku.dk
Data Science Collaborative Research Programme
The Data Science Collaborative Research Programme aims to support synergistic research collaborations rooted in data science and computational science with immediate or potential future applications within areas of relevance to NNF’s strategy.
Ole Winther
Title: Center for Basic Machine Learning Research in Life Science
Department: Department of Biology
Contact: ole.winther@bio.ku.dk
Other Funding Centres
Nordea Fonden
Every year, Nordea Fonden supports projects with approximately 500 million DKK with the purpose of promoting a healthy lifestyle concerning exercise, nature and culture.
Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health
Leader: Professor Jens Bangsbo, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
Contact: jbangsbo@nexs.ku.dk
Innovation Fund Denmark
Innovation Fund Denmark are focused on supporting researchers, who want to create value and benefit Denmark as well as contribute to solving societal challenges.
Pioneer Centre
Carlsberg Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, The Velux Foundations, Danish National Research Foundation and The Lundbeck Foundation have supported the centre with DKK 352,4 million (€47 million).
Pioneer Centre for AI
Leader: Professor Serge Belongie, Department of Computer Science
Contact: s.belongie@di.ku.dk
Novo Nordisk Foundation
Quantum Computing Programme
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Quantum Computing Programme is a collaboration between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Niels Bohr Institute. The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the Quantum Computing Programme with DKK 1.5 billion.
Leader: Professor Peter Krogstrup Jeppesen, Niels Bohr Institute
Contact: krogstrup@nbi.ku.dk
Center for University Science Education
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for University Science Education is a collaboration between the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Department of Science Education. The center works in partnership with satellite collaborators at Aarhus University (AU) and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).
Leaders: Professor Jennifer Dauer og Jan Alexis Nielsen
Contact: janielsen@ind.ku.dk
Centre for Protein Design
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Protein Design is a collaboration between the Department of Biology (SCIENCE) and the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology (SUND).
Leader: Dek Woolfson
Contact: d.n.woolfson@bio.ku.dk
SCIENCE Makerspace
The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports the SCIENCE Makerspace: an open, shared learning environment with access to equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, programmable embroidery machines, ceramic 3D printers, e-textiles, and microelectronics.
Leaders: Morten Misfeldt, Pernille Bjørn og Jason Koskinen