Novo Nordisk Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships at MIT 2027: Up to DKK 3.6 Million for Early-Career Researchers

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 2027 offer an opportunity for early-career researchers to undertake interdisciplinary research in collaboration with researchers at MIT while maintaining a formal connection with the Danish research environment.

The three-year fellowship is designed to give promising researchers international research experience at MIT, one of the world’s leading institutions in science and technology, while also strengthening their long-term scientific links with Denmark.

Under the programme, fellows spend the first two years at MIT carrying out their approved research project and then undertake a return phase of up to one year at a Danish university or another Danish public or non-profit research institution.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation will provide funding of up to DKK 3.6 million per fellowship, equivalent to approximately DKK 1.2 million per year. The funding is intended to support the three-year fellowship period.

The 2027 call opened on 30 September 2026 and will close on 29 January 2027 at 2:00 p.m. Copenhagen time. The announcement of results is expected in June 2027.

About the Novo Nordisk Foundation MIT Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Novo Nordisk Foundation established this fellowship programme to support the career development of outstanding early-stage researchers by giving them access to an international, interdisciplinary research environment.

The fellowship connects the research ecosystem in Denmark with MIT in the United States. Rather than being a conventional postdoctoral position based entirely abroad, the programme is structured around international mobility and continued participation in the Danish research system.

Fellows will collaborate with a research group at MIT and work under a host Principal Investigator who will serve as the primary research mentor during the stay abroad.

After the MIT research period, the fellow returns to the Danish host institution for the final phase of the fellowship. This structure is intended to support continued research collaboration, knowledge exchange and scientific independence after the international research stay.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Committee on Interdisciplinary Research oversees this fellowship programme. The committee also administers comparable interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship programmes involving the University of Oxford, ETH Zurich and Uppsala University.

Fellowship Structure

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship at MIT lasts for up to three years and is divided into two main stages.

1. Two-year research period at MIT

The fellow will spend the first two years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During this period, the researcher will carry out the approved research project in collaboration with an MIT research group and under the supervision or mentorship of the designated MIT Principal Investigator.

This period provides an opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary research environment, develop new technical and scientific skills, establish international collaborations and gain experience working with researchers from different disciplines.

2. Return phase in Denmark

Following the MIT research period, the fellow will return to a Danish university or another Danish public or non-profit research institution for a period of up to one year.

The Danish host institution must be confirmed before the application is submitted and will remain responsible for employing the fellow and administering the grant throughout the fellowship.

The return phase is an important part of the programme because the fellowship is designed not only to provide international research experience but also to strengthen connections between MIT and the Danish research environment.

Research Areas Supported

The fellowship supports research across a broad range of scientific disciplines.

Applicants may propose projects in:

• Natural sciences
• Technical sciences
• Biomedicine
• Biotechnology

However, the proposed research must meet an important additional requirement: it must be interdisciplinary and have potential relevance to human health or sustainability.

Applicants therefore need to explain clearly how their proposed research could contribute to human health, sustainability or both.

The programme can accommodate research ranging from fundamental scientific studies to innovative research projects, provided that the project meets the interdisciplinary and impact requirements of the call.

Funding Amount

The Novo Nordisk Foundation will provide up to DKK 3.6 million per fellowship.

The funding framework is approximately:

• Up to DKK 1.2 million per year
• Up to DKK 3.6 million over three years
• Funding covers the approved fellowship period
• The fellowship supports the research stay at MIT and the subsequent return phase in Denmark

The exact use and administration of the grant must follow the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s applicable grant conditions and application guidelines.

The official grant overview lists the maximum award as DKK 3.6 million per grant.

Why the Fellowship Is Designed for Early-Career Researchers

The programme is specifically aimed at researchers who are still in the early stages of their independent research careers.

The international research experience at MIT can expose fellows to new research methods, scientific networks and interdisciplinary approaches that may not be available within their existing research environment.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation identifies several career-development objectives for the programme.

These include:

International research experience

Fellows have the opportunity to conduct research at MIT and work with researchers in a highly international scientific environment.

Interdisciplinary training

The fellowship encourages researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries, allowing them to combine different areas of scientific expertise when addressing research questions related to health or sustainability.

Scientific networking

The programme is intended to expand fellows’ scientific networks through international mobility and collaboration with researchers at MIT.

Scientific independence

Working within an international research environment can help early-career researchers develop their own scientific ideas, research networks and professional independence.

Continued Denmark-MIT collaboration

The fellowship also aims to establish and maintain research connections between the Danish research ecosystem and MIT.

The return phase in Denmark gives fellows an opportunity to bring knowledge, methods and collaborations developed during their MIT research period back into the Danish research environment.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants should carefully review the eligibility conditions before beginning an application.

PhD requirement

Applicants must have obtained a PhD degree in natural and technical sciences, biomedicine, or biotechnology within five years of the fellowship start date.

The five-year calculation allows certain exceptions. Periods of leave of absence do not count toward the five-year period, although appropriate documentation must be available if requested.

PhD students may also apply if their PhD supervisor provides a statement confirming that they are expected to complete their PhD before the fellowship begins.

MIT research host

Applicants must establish contact with a Principal Investigator at MIT before applying.

The MIT host must agree to act as the applicant’s primary research mentor for the duration of the researcher’s stay at MIT.

This means applicants should not approach the application as an independent fellowship that can be pursued without a research host. Developing a suitable research collaboration with an MIT PI is an important part of the preparation process.

Previous postdoctoral experience at MIT

Applicants must not have spent more than one year as a postdoctoral researcher at MIT at the time of application.

The official guidelines indicate that an applicant’s MIT postdoctoral stay may already have started, but the applicant cannot have accumulated more than the permitted period by the time of application.

Danish host institution

Applicants must have a confirmed Danish hosting institution.

The Danish institution must:

• Be a Danish university or another Danish public, non-profit research institution.
• Provide a host Principal Investigator.
• Employ the fellow for the fellowship period.
• Administer the entire grant.
• Host the fellow during the return phase in Denmark.

This requirement is central to the structure of the fellowship because the programme is intended to maintain a connection between the fellow and the Danish research environment throughout the international research period.

Connection to Denmark

Applicants must demonstrate an association with the Danish educational system or research environment.

Examples given by the Novo Nordisk Foundation include:

• Having graduated from a Danish university.
• Being a Danish citizen.
• Having several years of research experience at a Danish institution.

Therefore, having a strong research profile alone is not sufficient if the applicant cannot demonstrate the required connection to the Danish research system.

Is the Fellowship Open to Applicants From Any Country?

The fellowship should not be interpreted as a standard international fellowship open to researchers from every country without additional conditions.

Although the research takes place at MIT in the United States, the programme specifically requires applicants to demonstrate an association with the Danish educational system or research environment.

The applicant must also have a confirmed Danish host institution that employs the fellow and administers the grant.

Consequently, researchers from outside Denmark may potentially qualify if they satisfy the programme’s requirements and can demonstrate the required association with Denmark. The official eligibility rules do not impose a race or ethnicity restriction, nor do they identify a particular continent as the exclusive source of applicants.

Important Research Proposal Requirement

The research proposal must be interdisciplinary and demonstrate potential impact on human health or sustainability.

Applicants should therefore make more than a general statement about the importance of their research.

The proposal should clearly explain:

1. What scientific problem the project addresses.
2. Why the research requires an interdisciplinary approach.
3. Which scientific fields or methods will be brought together.
4. How the research could contribute to human health or sustainability.
5. Why collaboration with the proposed MIT research group is appropriate.
6. How the research will benefit from the international research environment.
7. How the work can contribute to continued collaboration between MIT and the Danish research ecosystem.

A strong proposal should make the connection between the research question, interdisciplinary methodology and potential real-world impact clear.

One Application at a Time

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has a specific rule concerning applications for its postdoctoral fellowship programmes.

Applicants may submit only one application at a time for any of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s postdoctoral fellowship grants.

An applicant must receive the outcome of the existing application before submitting another application under the relevant postdoctoral fellowship calls.

Applicants should therefore consider their preferred fellowship opportunity carefully before submitting an application.

Co-Funding and Other Financial Support

The proposed project may receive partial funding from other sources.

However, any co-funding must be clearly disclosed in the application.

Applicants should therefore provide accurate information about other financial contributions connected to the proposed project rather than treating the Novo Nordisk Foundation grant as isolated from other sources of support.

Application Timeline

The 2027 fellowship follows the timeline below:

Stage	Date
Call opens	30 September 2026
Application deadline	29 January 2027
Deadline time	2:00 p.m. Copenhagen time
Expected announcement of results	June 2027
Next recurring call	September 2027

The application deadline is 29 January 2027 at 2:00 p.m. Copenhagen time. Applicants should not wait until the final day to begin preparing because the fellowship requires coordination with both an MIT research host and a Danish host institution.

How to Prepare for the Application

Researchers interested in this opportunity should begin preparations well before the deadline.

Step 1: Confirm your academic eligibility

Check that your PhD falls within one of the eligible fields and that it was obtained within the permitted five-year period relative to the fellowship start date.

PhD students should confirm whether they can provide the required statement from their supervisor confirming expected graduation before the fellowship begins.

Step 2: Identify a suitable MIT research group

Applicants need to establish contact with an MIT Principal Investigator who is willing to serve as the primary research mentor.

The proposed research should fit the MIT group’s scientific expertise and resources.

Step 3: Secure a Danish host institution

Applicants must also establish a relationship with a Danish university or eligible public/non-profit research institution.

The Danish institution must be prepared to employ the fellow and administer the grant.

Step 4: Develop an interdisciplinary project

The proposal should bring together relevant scientific disciplines rather than simply presenting a conventional single-discipline research project.

Applicants should demonstrate why collaboration across disciplines is necessary to address the research question.

Step 5: Explain the health or sustainability impact

The application must clearly describe the potential relevance of the project to human health or sustainability.

This should be connected directly to the proposed research rather than presented as a broad statement unrelated to the actual project.

Step 6: Plan the MIT and Danish phases

Applicants should have a clear understanding of how their project will operate during the two-year MIT period and how the work will continue during the return phase in Denmark.

The two phases should form a coherent research programme rather than appearing to be separate projects.

Step 7: Review the official guidelines

Before submitting the application, applicants should carefully review the official Novo Nordisk Foundation call text, application guidelines, grant conditions and any other requirements provided through the Foundation’s application system.

Benefits of the Novo Nordisk Foundation MIT Fellowship

The fellowship offers several potential benefits for researchers who meet the eligibility requirements.

Access to an international research environment

The fellow will spend two years conducting research at MIT, providing exposure to an internationally recognised research environment in science and technology.

Research training

The programme is intended to provide extensive research experience and training in an interdisciplinary setting.

International scientific network

Researchers can build professional relationships with MIT researchers and other international scientists, potentially creating collaborations that continue beyond the fellowship period.

Career development

The programme is designed specifically to support the career development of early-stage researchers and to encourage scientific independence.

Mobility between Denmark and the United States

The fellowship creates a structured research pathway between Denmark and MIT, combining international research experience with continued participation in the Danish research system.

Continued collaboration after MIT

The return phase provides an opportunity for fellows to transfer knowledge and continue research collaborations after returning to Denmark.

Significant financial support

With funding of up to DKK 3.6 million per fellowship, the programme provides substantial financial support for the approved three-year fellowship period.

What Makes This Fellowship Different From a Conventional Postdoctoral Position?

A conventional postdoctoral position may involve joining a research group for a defined period at one institution.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation MIT fellowship has a different structure because it deliberately combines two research environments.

The fellow begins with two years at MIT and then returns to a Danish institution for up to one year.

This arrangement is intended to encourage researchers to gain international experience while retaining a strong connection to the Danish scientific community.

The programme therefore combines international mobility, interdisciplinary research, early-career development and long-term institutional collaboration.

Application Deadline

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 2027 application deadline is:

29 January 2027 at 2:00 p.m. Copenhagen time.

Applicants should ensure that all required arrangements with their MIT research host and Danish host institution are completed sufficiently early to allow time for preparation and submission.

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted through the official Novo Nordisk Foundation application system.

Applicants should use the official fellowship page and application guidelines to review the complete requirements before submitting their proposal.

Official opportunity page: Novo Nordisk Foundation – Postdoctoral Fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2027

The Foundation’s official grant overview also lists the MIT fellowship among its open calls for applications.

For more fellowship program visit OFY website; https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/category/fellowship/

Conclusion

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology – 2027 provide an opportunity for eligible early-career researchers to combine international research experience at MIT with continued development within the Danish research environment.