Course PhD Course in Grant Writing

The course A330/02 PhD Course in Grant Writing is being offered by the Graduate School of Health, Aarhus University, spring 2026.

Criteria for participation: 

University degree in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or Master’s degree in other fields and/or postgraduate research fellows (PhD students and research-year medical students).

Aim: 

On behalf of the Cardiovascular Network at Health, we are offering a 5 ECTS course in grant writing, targeted towards junior researchers, who seek to apply for research funding to support their studies. The course will provide a forum of collegial cooperation and support for the grant submissions, where the student’s main supervisor is also expected to be heavily involved. Targeted grant calls:

• - PhD and Postdoc Fellowships from the Danish Diabetes and Endocrine Academy (https://ddeacademy.dk/grants/ )
• - PhD and Postdoc Fellowships from the Danish Cardiovascular Academy https://dcacademy.dk/grants).
• - Marie Curie Postdoc Fellowships (https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/actions/postdoctoral-fellowships)
• - Postdoc Fellowships from Novo Nordisk Foundation (https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/grant/)
• - Postdoc Fellowships from Lundbeck Foundation (https://lundbeckfonden.com/apply-grants)
• - Postdoc Fellowships from Independent Research Fund Denmark (https://dff.dk/en/apply/application)
• -

Learning outcomes: 

Becoming proficient in writing scientific grants is a multi-faceted process that requires a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience. By honing your skills in each of these areas and actively engaging in the grant writing process, you can increase your chances of success in securing funding for your research endeavors. Learning outcomes from this course includes:

• - Understanding of grant proposal structures and review processes, including alignment with funding priorities
• - Knowledge about effective communication (clarity and precision)
• - Knowledge about the importance of having a strong rationale and impact statement
• - Knowledge about research design and methodology, including ethical considerations
• - Insight into budgeting and financial statements
• - Insight into the strength of networking and collaboration
• - Professional development and progression towards independence in the research community

Workload: The full workload of the course is expected to be 50 hours

Content: 

Over a 6 months period, we will help you structure and write your grant application through the following steps. In preparation for the course, you are expected to invest 41 hours in drafting your application, 9 hours involve meeting where you receive feedback from your immediate supervisor, involve individual peer-review meetings from the panel and workshops, as detailed below.

Before the Course Starts (Selecting the Students)

January 20: Students submit their motivation letter and CV using the provided template.

February 10: 10-15-minute online pre-interview with students and supervisor to assess motivation and fit. Subsequent selection of student-supervisor-teacher pairs by Christian Aalkjær, Emma Börgeson, and Anja P. Einholm. No contact hours – recorded interview by students.

Note!

Please make sure that both your supervisor and you are available on the proposed dates, as it will not be possible to reschedule the meetings.

Course Start

1. First submission (Deadline: February 17): Selected individuals are asked to submit a brief description of their preliminary proposal, in the form of a short abstract and a 1-page outline.
   Expected time commitment: 10 hours (writing brief description/preparation)
   • o Information on the following should be provided via this link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=Nh39Ycv-yke319DfA3ChmJ3VAmXZYg9Gkd1Hvhcan0ZURjI5NlBBTk0wTzRGSjM3RlA3NjAyQVFaRS4u
     • Grant title
     • Name: Applicant, Supervisor, Host institute
     • 500-word abstract of project
     • 1 A4-page outline of experimental aims
     • Indicate targeted grant
     • Select your preferences which committee member you prefer to receive feedback from

2. Initial sit-down meeting (March 3): First meeting with your supervisor and the panel members, to discuss experimental approach. The purpose is to align expectation between the attending parties and to allow the panel member to review the grant proposal and advise if a shift in focus is necessary to keep the project on track.
   Expected time commitment: in total 2 hours (teaching/contact) (first 30 min with panel members, following 1 h with your supervisor to discuss the feedback and revise the proposal, last 30 min with Christian Aalkjær or Emma Börgeson to provide additional input and address questions)

3. Grant Writing Workshop (March 17 10:30-15:30)

Expected time commitment: 5 hours (teaching/contact)

10:30 – 11:30 | Session 1: Getting Started with Grant Writing

Empowering Early-Career Researchers: Strategies for Successful Grant Applications

• Welcome & Introduction – Emma Börgeson (10:30 – 10:40)
• Q&A: Reviewing Pre-Submitted Student Questions (10:40 – 11:00)
• Insights from Experience – Christian Aalkjær in conversation with Jørgen Frøkiær (11:00 – 11:25)

11:30 – 12:30 | Networking Lunch

An informal break designed to help participants exchange ideas and discuss their grant concepts.

12:30 – 13:45 | Session 2: Navigating Funding Opportunities

• Crafting a Competitive Grant Application: Focus on EU Opportunities – Emma Börgeson (12:30 – 13:00)
• National Perspective: Applying for PhD and Postdoc Grants in Denmark – Christian Aalkjær (13:00 – 13:45)

13:45 – 14:00 | Coffee Break

14:00 – 15:00 | Session 3: Leveraging AI in Grant Writing

Part 1 – Talk (14:00 – 14:30):

Writing Smarter: How to Use AI Tools Like ChatGPT Safely and Effectively

An overview of how AI can support the grant writing process—covering strengths, limitations, ethical use, and best practices.

Part 2 – Hands-On Training & Peer Feedback (14:30 – 15:00):

Interactive Session: Revising Your Grant Abstract with AI

Participants will:

• Use AI to revise their own grant abstracts (bring your draft!)
• Exchange feedback in small peer groups
• Discuss clarity, impact, and tone improvements

15:00 – 15:30 | Final Q&A

Open-floor discussion to wrap up the day. Bring any remaining questions or reflections.

4. Student´s submission deadline (April 14)

Deadline for students to submit their complete grant proposal and supporting documents such as CV.

Expected time commitment: 11 hours (grant writing/preparation)

5. Written feedback from the course leaders (April 26)

Students receive short written feedback from Christian Aalkjær and Emma Börgeson

6. Student´s submission deadline for the revised proposal (Deadline: May 11)

Students submit their revised grant proposals, incorporating feedback received from course leaders.

Expected time commitment: 10 hours (grant writing/preparation)

7. Verbal feedback from the panel: Final sit-down meeting (May 19)

This second and final meeting includes the student, supervisor, and panel member. It concludes with a social reception where students can network with the full panel of mentors and instructors.

Expected time commitment: 2 hour (teaching/contact)

8. Submission of revised application for linguistic review (Deadline: June 9)
9. Feedback distributed (June 30)

Students receive linguistic feedback.

10. Submission of the final grant application (Deadline: depending on the foundation)

Expected time commitment: 10 hours (grant writing/preparation)

Instructors: Emma Börgeson (course leader), Christian Aalkjær (course leaders) & Anja P. Einholm plus feedback panel of experienced researchers from AU TBA.

Venue: Aarhus University, Aarhus (other) – TBA

Participation in the course is without cost for:

• PhD students, Health Research Year students from Aarhus University
• PhD students enrolled at partner universities of the Nordoc collaboration
• PhD students from other institutions in the open market agreement for PhD courses

Course dates:

• 03 March 2026 09:00 - 16:00
• 17 March 2026 10:30 - 15:15
• 09 June 2026 14:00 - 17:00