Natural Sciences - Aarhus University GSNS PhD Scholarships

Graduate School of Natural Sciences (GSNS), Aarhus University, Denmark offered 8 PhD programmes with Scholarships in the Natural Science research fields.

Features of the Fellowships

Aarhus University is a leading international university where in-depth, cutting-edge research is combined with interdisciplinary collaboration, a focus on talent development and strong ties to business and industry.

At Graduate School of Natural Sciences, we are determined to attract the most talented PhD students in the world. We offer you an international research environment and the best possible conditions for developing your special talents.

• Join an ambitious, dynamic research environment
• Great working conditions

Documents Required for Application

Please note that you must have all relevant appendices, attachments, addresses for referees, etc. ready when you apply, as the entire application must be uploaded in one go. A partially completed application cannot be saved and completed later.

If you wish to upload more than one document under each section, you must scan/merge all documents into one large PDF document and upload this. GSNS reserves the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and similar. You may consider indicating a URL where the information is available. 

All information in the application must be in English or Danish, preferably English. Please note that GSNS reserves the right to verify the authenticity of your educational diploma and transcripts. This means that GSNS can request additional information to verify an application, and reject the application if it is proven, or if the University has reasonable grounds to believe, that the information provided is false or if the applicant refuses to provide the requested information, irrespective of whether an offer has already been made. 

You will be asked to enter information regarding:
Attachments must be pdf-files, max. 20 MB, no zip.

• Personal information – please provide proof of name changes if all documents does not bear the same name. 
• Curriculum Vitae
• Academic background – diplomas and transcripts for all relevant, credit-bearing qualification(s), such as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Please note, that even if you have started/finished your Master’s degree programme, the transcripts and diploma of your Bachelor’s degree must still be included in the application. If the original documents are not in English or one of the Scandinavian languages (i.e. Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) then copies of the original documents as well as a certified English translation must be attached.
• Grade point average – the weighted and unweighted grade point average of your academic degrees. The grade point average of your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees must be stated separately clearly indicating whether the average is weighted or unweighted. The weighted grade point average must be calculated based on your transcripts’ grading scale (e.g. ECTS/credits/points etc) – tools for the weighted calculation are available here: for ECTS, for Other credits (up to 35 courses) and for Other credits (up to 75 courses). Please upload the calculation as a PDF file under ‘Other information to consider’.
  If available, GSNS encourages you to also upload documentation of your ranking, i.e. in which pct. you have been ranked in the graduation class of your study programme. 
• Admission – information on desired starting date, credit transfer, etc.
• Language skills – please see the “Documentation of language skills” section in the application guide
• Financing – indicate sources and amounts of possible financial support, if any. Also, please see the “Financing and prospective supervisors” section above.
• Plan of study – use the drop-down menu to choose the general call or a specific call. If you apply via the general call, please enter the title of your general call project.
• Project description for general calls (½-4 pages) – describe your ideas and research plans for your project. You can indicate a URL to further information. GSNS strongly recommends that you discuss a potential project with a prospective supervisor at Aarhus University before applying. If, however, you write the project description on your own, the PhD committee will use it to find a potential supervisor for you or to match you with another research project close to your interests.
• Project description for specific calls (½-4 pages) – the project announcement will state whether you should copy the description from it or write one yourself. Describe your ideas and research plans if you write the description yourself. You can indicate a URL to further information. GSNS strongly recommends that you contact the relevant supervisor listed in the project announcement prior to applying.
• References (min. 1) – optionally, you can use this template to send to your referee(s). Previously obtained letters of reference can also be uploaded as PDFs. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that all relevant references are received at GSNS. You can either upload the reference (as PDF) yourself or ask the referee to send it as PDF directly to GSNS via e-mail to gradschool.nat@au.dk. If you choose the latter, please upload a PDF document saying that you have done so. Please note that GSNS will not contact referees to remind them to submit a reference. GSNS will upload the reference to the application so it will not be visible to the applicant.
• Motivation (max. 1 page) – explain your reasons for applying.
• Source – how you found out about the call.

As a minimum, all applications must include curriculum vitae, transcripts and diploma(s), grade point averages (weighted and unweighted), project description, one reference and motivation. Documentation of language skills should also be included, if required.

A certified English translation is required for documents written in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian languages (i.e. Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) languages.

Calls and Deadlines for GSNS Scholarships

There are four PhD application deadlines each year, and the application system opens 2 months before each deadline. You can apply for a PhD position under the open call via the general call or the specific call. The deadlines are the same no matter which type of call you apply for: 

Call Open for Applications	Dec – Feb / Mar – May / Jun-Aug / Sep-Nov
Review of Applications	Feb – Mar / May – Jun / Aug – Sep / Nov – Dec
Decision informed to Applicants	End of Mar / Jun / Sep / Dec
Earliest Start Date	1st of May / Aug / Nov / Feb

About the Scholarships

GSNS calls for applications four times a year – please see the deadlines below. You can apply for a PhD position with either your own project description via the general call or for one of the positions on the list of specific calls. Read more about the general call and specific call here.

For more details about the Scholarship

About Aarhus University

Vacancies – GSNS PhD Scholarships