The New Carlsberg Foundation grants postdoctoral fellowships for projects on art research in the broadest sense which is relevant to the endeavours of the museum or exhibition venue behind the application. This includes traditional art historical or art theoretical research associated with collections, but can also extend to other issues relevant to the museum or exhibition venue and its activities in society in general: strategy, curation, marketing, communication and education.

The place of employment can be either a Danish university or a state-recognised museum (which, according to the Danish Museums Act, have an obligation to carry out research).

Who can apply?

Art museums and exhibition venues can submit applications. In special cases, cultural history museums can also apply if the project has art as its main focus. It is also possible for several institutions to apply jointly.

Application deadline

The grant is announced once a year. For specific deadlines, see under ‘Deadlines and contact’.

Application process

  1. The art museum/exhibition venue submits an application to The New Carlsberg Foundation, requesting funding for a postdoctoral fellowship.
  2. The board of the New Carlsberg Foundation assesses the applications received and notifies applicants of either preliminary approval or rejection.
  3. If the art museum/exhibition venue receives preliminary approval from The New Carlsberg Foundation, the art museum/exhibition venue must let The New Carlsberg Foundation know which of two models for engaging the postdoctoral fellow it wishes to apply (both models fully comply with the Danish Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities).
    Model 1: A fellow is appointed after an open call.
    Model 2: The art museum/exhibition venue submits the name and CV (maximum one page) of a suitable candidate as well as a budget for salary expenses based on the candidate’s salary grade.
    The New Carlsberg Foundation then issues final approval to the art museum/exhibition venue.
  4. If model 1 is used, the vacant fellowship is advertised jointly by the art museum/exhibition venue and the university. When the fellow is employed, a budget is submitted for salary expenses based on the fellow’s salary grade.
    If model 2 is used, the nominated candidate submits an application to the university, where it is subjected to academic evaluation. If this evaluation is satisfactory, the appointment is made. If it is unsatisfactory, the art museum/exhibition venue may subsequently choose to use model 1 – that is, finding a suitable candidate via an open call.

Criteria

The project must:

  • intersect, in an original way, with key existing research in the field.
  • be of relevance to the field of art research and to society in general.
  • meet academic standards in terms of theory and method.
  • be relevant to the professional and strategic profile of the relevant museum or exhibition venue.
  • be anchored in the relevant university’s research areas and research environment
  • contribute to other national and international research environments.

The application must contain:

  • A project proposal of no more than two standard pages of 2,400 characters with spaces each. Please note that the candidate’s name must NOT be stated in the project description. The description should address and reflect the above-mentioned criteria.
  • A preliminary agreement with a Danish university confirming the applicant’s appointment / managerial position in research.
  • A maximum of two pages with illustrations.
  • A bibliography (maximum one page).
  • An account of any co-financing or other funding already applied for/granted (if applicable).

Applications that do not comply with these formal requirements will be rejected forthwith. Please note that a standard page is 2,400 characters with spaces. Footnotes, if any, are not counted towards the 2,400 characters.

Financing

  • The New Carlsberg Foundation co-finances the remuneration of the postdoctoral fellow based on their salary grade with up to DKK 2 million.
  • In addition, the New Carlsberg Foundation will support the fellow’s activity expenses with a DKK 100,000 grant. The funds are put at the fellow’s disposal and can be used for conference trips, stays abroad, literature and materials, holding workshops, and the like.
  • The fellowship grant also includes a fixed amount covering related costs of DKK 450,000, comprising DKK 300,000 (DKK 100.000 per year) to be paid to the institution employing the fellow and DKK 150,000 (DKK 50,000 per year) to the institution co-operating on the project.
  • If the total project costs exceed the grant provided by The New Carlsberg Foundation, the institutions involved are expected to secure the outstanding funding.
  • The The New Carlsberg Foundation will cover documented additional expenses in connection with the fellow’s subsequent maternity/paternity leave or illness.
  • In the final phase of the project, it is possible to apply for funding for dissemination of the project in the form of, for example, a seminar, publication or exhibition. Applications for such funds must be submitted through The New Carlsberg Foundation’s usual application system and are thus assessed on an equal footing with other applications.

Reporting

When the project is completed, the applicant must submit accounts and a report by the fellow on the project and its findings, comprising no more than two standard pages.

Further inquiries

For additional information, please contact: Research advisor Tom Hermansen, th@ncf.dk, +45 24813185