The California-Denmark Innovator Fellowship is an exceptional opportunity to engage with world-leading Danish research and innovation for human and planetary health. Live in Denmark for six months, connecting with a leading research laboratory at a top Danish university, and gain commercialization experience at the prestigious Novo Nordisk funded BioInnovation Institute or related incubator. Upon return, deepen your connections on the UC Davis campus with visiting fellows from Denmark. All expenses covered.
Program Info Session: April 24, 9 am: Register Here
Immersing in the Danish ecosystem offers:
Winter: Conduct Use-Inspired Research in Denmark
As a UC Davis fellow, you will be placed for three months in a research lab at one of Denmark’s top research universities. The Danish Center for Sustainable Agrifood Systems (START) is a network of labs at eight universities throughout the country working on all aspects of the food system. For three months, you will understand how use-inspired research is conducted, with problem-solving at the center of research activities. Learn to ask the right research questions from the beginning, explore what it takes to derisk a technology for the market, and more.
During this time, you will connect on-site with your Danish counterparts for excursions and networking activities, before they leave for UC Davis in February.
Spring: Understand the Startup Ecosystem through Commercialization Activities
After research in a START lab, from January through March, you will have the opportunity to engage with startups and commercialization initiatives at BioInnovation Center Denmark, (an incubator initiative of the NovoNordisk Foundation), DTU Skylab, or another related incubator or accelerator. Here you will learn how breakthrough ideas and research make it to market by participating in real go-to-market activities, such as market mapping, identifying target markets, assessing customer preferences through interviews and focus groups, evaluating technology readiness levels, and more.
Upon Return: Engagement at UC Davis
You will return from Denmark and resume your research in your UC Davis lab. At this time, you will be able to reconnect with the Danish fellows you met in the fall, who are now visiting UC Davis. The Innovation Institute for Food and Health will organize regular meetups, speakers and excursions.
At the end of the program, a colloquium bringing together Fellows and their research and commercialization networks from both Denmark and California will take place. During this time, you and the other fellows will showcase your groundbreaking work and explore opportunities to further build connections between the Danish and UC Davis ecosystems.
Application Deadline: Sunday, May 18, 2025
Program Info Session: April 24, 9 am: Register here
Eligibility:
Program Timeline:
Support:
Sponsored by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, this opportunity is one-half of a two-way exchange program. UC Davis will send top scholars outbound to learn from Denmark’s world-famous innovation ecosystem, and top universities in Denmark will send scholars to UC Davis for six months. UC Davis and the world-class Danish ecosystem are looking to learn from each other by establishing a bridge of talent through top scholars interested in pursuing ventures related to food, nutrition and planetary health.
The program is staggered such that the selected Danish scholars will meet and connect with incoming UC Davis students in fall, attending events, speakers and networking opportunities together. These Danish fellows will then depart for UC Davis in January. When UC Davis fellows return and resume research in their labs in April, they will get to reconnect with their Danish counterparts on the Davis campus for the Spring quarter, again attending speakers, events and professional development opportunities together.
You can learn more about Denmark’s exceptional innovation ecosystem here, and especially their leadership in the food sector here.
Applicants from UC Davis only:
Candidates must have support from PI approving the applicant’s engagement and approving their absence from their lab for two quarters.
At this time, international PhDs and Postdocs may apply, but are subject to the immigration policies of the EU. Applications from those holding an F1 or J1 visa should consult with their SISS advisor at the time of application. At this time we cannot accept applicants that are passport holders from China, Russia, or Iran.
US Citizen applicants– if you do not have a valid US passport, apply for a passport book TODAY.
Please prepare the following documentation as part of your application:
Please combine items 1-4 above, in the order they are listed, into one single PDF for submission. Further information can be found on the submission form.
Note: applicants will not need to upload a copy of their passport at the time of application, but will be required to disclose it upon selection.
Please note you must be signed into your UC Davis Google account to apply. Problems? Contact [email protected].
Looking for candidates with:
Our team is here to help! Feel free to send any questions regarding the Innovator Fellowship to [email protected].
