LF Early-Career Clinician Scientist 2024

About the grant

The Lundbeck Foundation has an aspiration to make a significant contribution to advances in research-based knowledge and experience in the fields of biomedical, clinical and health sciences in Denmark. At the same time, our grants must help to ensure Denmark always has the best graduates and scientists at all career levels in these fields.

The Lundbeck Foundation believes that diversity strengthens science and for this reason diversity, including, but not limited to, gender and ethnic origin, is encouraged. We especially encourage scientists from groups that have been traditionally under-represented in academia, including women and scientists of diverse ethnic backgrounds, to apply.

Research theme
The proposed research must be within health research.
 

Who can apply?

Applicants must:

• Have obtained an MD (cand.med.) and a PhD or be able to document that they are expected to gain their PhD within six months of the application deadline
• Have completed clinical internship (KBU)
• Fulfil one of the following two criteria:
• Applicant is not enrolled in a specialisation programme but intends to enter a specialisation programme within two years of project start
• Applicant is enrolled in a specialisation programme and has a of minimum one year left of the specialisation programme at the time of project start
• The applicant must dedicate 100% of their time to the project during the first year of the grant period
• For the following years, the applicant must dedicate at least 20% of their time to the project and at least 20% of the time to clinical duties

Which proposals are eligible?

The proposed projects may be fully based in Denmark at hospitals and/or other research institutions, or be based at hospitals or research institutions outside Denmark.
The entire grant must be managed by a Danish institution (Main host).

The applicant is expected to have authorisation to work as an MD in Denmark or should include in the letter of support from the Head of Department a statement of the intention of the applicant to obtain their authorisation to work as an MD in Denmark during the first two years of the project.

How much?

The Lundbeck Foundation is allocating up to DKK 30 million to this programme. The grants are worth between DKK 800 000 and 2,5 million reflecting the length and content of the proposed project. The maximum length of the grant is 5 years.
The budget may cover staff and non-staff costs related to the project. Note that you cannot apply for PhD salaries.

Salary must comply with the collective agreement applicable to the Danish host institution and only include centrally negotiated allowances and pension. Personal pay supplements for clinical duties (e.g. shift supplement) or academic duties (e.g. PhD or supervisor supplements) cannot be covered by the grant.

If at least six consecutive months are spent at a foreign research institution, 8% of the budget covering the period can be reserved for project-related, indirect costs at the foreign research institution. 2% of the budget covering the period can be reserved for project-related, indirect costs at the Danish host institution.

If at least 12 months (which may be split into a maximum of three separate visits) are spent abroad, applicants may apply for an additional DKK 100,000 as a lump sum to cover expenses associated with travel, accommodation, etc. In combination with the relocation costs, applicants with children may apply for additional support of DKK 50,000 per accompanying child per year (i.e. DKK 4166 per accompanying child per month). The DKK 100,000 relocation costs and the additional child support must be clearly stated in the budget as a separate item.

How to apply?

You must submit your application, written in English, via the Lundbeck Foundation’s application system. Please note that the Foundation will not consider or assess any application material which is not submitted via the application system before the deadline.

Your application must include the following:

• Research plan- including timeline for how the applicant will dedicate time to the proposed research. If the project is a part of an ongoing or planned larger project, the specific contributions of the proposed project and the applicant to the larger project should be stated clearly
• Description of the clinical and research environments (including months) where the research will be conducted

• Publication list and CV
• Budget- only budget items related to the specific proposal in question should be included in the budget. In the comments to the budget, clarification of other sources of funding, particularly if the project is a part of an ongoing or planned larger project (e.g. clinical trials) must be described
• Salary calculations
• Letter of support including a short CV from the leader of the research group hosting the applicant in Denmark and, if applicable, abroad.

The support letter must explain how the research adds to the research strategy of the department. In addition, the letter must include a commitment to ensure that the applicant reach his/her full potential through professional and personal mentoring

If the research-group leader hosting the applicant currently holds or has a pending application for a LF-grant >5 million, it should be stated in the support letter how the applicant’s proposed project distinguishes itself from that grant (proposal).

• Letter of support from the Danish main host institution agreeing to manage the entire grant
• Letter of support from mentor

Note: If the project is granted, the grantee, must submit to the foundation a letter of approval from Council of Medical Specialties (Videreuddannelsesrådet) stating that the grantee can combine the proposed research with a specialisation programme (introduktionsstilling / hoveduddannelsesforløb).

Further requirements, which you must comply with, can be found in the application guide and in the application form.

You are welcome to contact Senior Grant Manager Ulla Jakobsen (uj@lundbeckfonden.com), Scientific Project Manager Anette Høye (ah@lundbeckfonden.com) or Scientific Programme Director Peter Thostrup (pth@lundbeckfonden.com) if you have any questions regarding your application.

Evaluation process

Important dates

• Deadline for application: November 9, 2023 -  13:00 CET
• Approval of grants: Ultimo March 2024
• Earliest start: April 1, 2024
• The grant must start before: December 31, 2024

What are the grant conditions?

If your proposal is successful, you must accept the “General Terms and Conditions for Research Grants”. This grant is a personal grant.


What are the reporting requirements?

If your proposal is successful, you must submit annual scientific and financial reports to the Lundbeck Foundation. The scientific reporting will continue for three years after the end date of the grant. 

For details see: For grant recipients | The Lundbeck Foundation (lundbeckfonden.com)
 

The purpose of the Lundbeck Foundation is to create powerful ripple effects that bring discoveries to lives through investing actively in business and science at the frontiers of their fields.