Application process
The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND) at the University of Copenhagen seeks 14 highly motivated and dynamic postdoc fellows to commence the BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme on 1 September 2024 as the first cohort of BRIDGE III. Fellows will be appointed for a period of two years and receive an annual sum of DKK 40.000 to cover costs for PC, travel, conference and workshop participation, language courses and other activities outside the programme.
The BRIDGE – Translational Excellence Programme is financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with the ambition to train fellows in the area of translational medicine, mentored by fully committed and top level professionals in basic biomedical research, a clinical environment and the life science industry. The programme constitutes a clear career path for candidates whose ambition is to bridge the gap between research, patient care and the life science industry and for those wishing to become pioneering leaders in the field of translational medicine.
Eligibility and formal conditions
You can apply for a BRIDGE Fellowship if you have:
- a MD with a PhD or equivalent; specialist training is no hindrance to apply and medical training is appreciated
- a MSc with a PhD in relevant disciplines such as veterinary science, biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics, pharmacy, dentistry and medical engineering
Additional requirements:
- As a PhD student, you may apply provided that you attach a declaration from your supervisor stating that your thesis will be submitted and defended prior to project commencement on 1 September 2024. If you are awarded a BRIDGE fellowship, but subsequently fail to graduate as PhD within this deadline, the fellowship will be annulled.
- You must be awarded your PhD less than 8 years prior to the application deadline for the fellowship. Documented periods of leave (parental leave, leave due to sickness and military service) can provide an extension to this time period upon documentation.
- Due to Danish legislation, you are not eligible to apply for the BRIDGE programme if you have been employed in a postdoctoral position for more than two years at the University of Copenhagen prior to the commencement of the fellowship.
- Postdoc four-year rule (Danish legislation): Employment as a postdoc can take place for up to four years at each university in Denmark. I.e. you can be employed as a postdoc at UCPH for four years and then four years at for example Aarhus University. Employment as a postdoc abroad does not count towards periods of employment at Danish universities. Four years as a postdoc at the same university is the maximum period, and you cannot start over at the postdoc time at the same university even if you have been away from the university in question or worked abroad for a number of years.
Please find more information on the Executive Order on employment structure ('stillingsstuktur') for scientific staff at universities of 11 December 2019 here: https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2019/1443 and UCPH's overview of employment structure here https://kunet.ku.dk/arbejdsomraader/hr/HR%20dokumenter/stillingsstruktur%20-%20oversigtsskema%202020.pdf
How to find a mentor team on your own
If you are not already in contact with an eligible mentor team we recommend that you:
- Contact basic, clinical and/or life science researchers in your network from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (SUND) at UCPH, from hospitals in Region Zealand or Capital Region of Denmark and/or from the life science industry who fulfil the mentor requirements, or
- Alternatively, browse through the list of open mentor teams with project synopses and find one that fits your research interest. Contact the mentor team to explore the possibility of a collaboration. The list will be published on the BRIDGE website by 15 December
If you are an applicant with no previous or current connections to SUND or hospitals in either of the two regions, please browse the Departments and Centres at SUND and navigate to the Department/Centre that fits your research area. Contact the relevant scientific staff who meet the requirements for a basic mentor (Associate Professor or Professor). Note that staff from the Department of Clinical Medicine (IKM) are not accepted as basic mentors, but could be clinical mentors.
Alternatively, you can use the staff database at the University of Copenhagen to find a researcher in your research area. Try the search term "translational".
You may have additional basic mentors from other departments and universities in Denmark.
You can also browse the regions' and hospitals' staff pages to find a clinical mentor. Please search for a researcher using the search engine at Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand, or explore the hospitals' own pages on research groups and clinical researchers here:
Clinical (associate/teaching) professors affiliated with SUND,
Danish Cancer Society Research Center,
Frederiksberg and Bispebjerg Hospital,
Mental health services in the Capital Region of Denmark (Psykiatrien),
Application process
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1. Match with your mentor team
The first step in the application process is to match with a mentor team. If you are in contact with a mentor team, we recommend that you simply have your mentor team preapproved in due time before application deadline on 28 February by sending a request including the mentors’ CVs to bridge@sund.ku.dk. Move on to the next steps. If you are not in contact with a mentor team, see tips on how to build one in the box above.
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2. Download templates
Download all relevant templates for your application from our webpage.
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3. Develop your project description and budget
Co-design a detailed project description and a budget for the project together with your mentor team. This part of your application is called part 1. The budget should be merged with part 3 for the submission. Part 2 of your application must be developed by the fellow candidate individually.
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4. Submit your application
Your application (part 1, 2 and 3) must be submitted via HR Manager by 28 February, 23:59 CET. Please find the job announcement and apply via the link in the box above when the application portal is open.
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5. Wait for an answer
When the deadline has passed, the appointment and assessment committees evaluate the applications during March and April. Qualified and shortlisted candidates can expect to be invited for interviews in end of April.
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6. Interviews
Appointment interviews take place in mid May. The 14 best candidates are offered a fellowship the week after the interviews.