Apply for LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowships

About LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowships

With the LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowships program, we aim to support talented, emerging research leaders with ambitions to establish or expand an independent research group at a Danish institution, and to pursue novel and important research questions within skin and skin diseases.

Grants of DKK 12 million are awarded for a five-year period.

Eligible candidates have between two and eight years of research experience since completing their PhD degree. For detailed information on eligibility criteria, please refer to the application guide below.

We expect to award up to four fellowships per year.

How to apply

The LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowships program is announced once a year in open competition.

Please read the application guide for the full call text and further information about the eligibility criteria, evaluation process, and requirements for the content of the application.

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Application deadlines

Application deadlines for all of our grant programs are listed below. Calls are announced on an ongoing basis.

Grant Opens Deadline

Research Grants in open competition (round 1)

13 Nov 2024 08 Jan 2025 Apply now

To support the best dermatology research projects worldwide.

It is important that the applicant carefully reads the application guide before initiating the application process, as this document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.

DEADLINE: 8 January 2025 (16:00 CET)

Application guide

Online application

LEO Foundation Award – Region Americas

14 Nov 2024 09 Jan 2025 Apply now

The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognizes promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers.

Three awards are made each year, one in each of the regions: Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia-Pacific. Each award is worth USD 100,000.

DEADLINE for self-nomination: 9 January 2025 (16:00 CET)

NB: The content of the application guide may be subject to change. Changes relevant for a given call will be implemented prior to opening of that call.

Application guide

Online application

Education and Awareness Grants (round 1)

27 Nov 2024 22 Jan 2025 Apply now

To strengthen the pipeline of future researchers within the fields of medicine, chemistry, and pharmacy, and to raise awareness about science, including skin and skin diseases.

It is important that the applicant carefully reads the application guide before initiating the application process, as this document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.

DEADLINE: 22 January 2025 (16:00 CET)

Application guide

Apply by mail here

LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowships

16 Jan 2025 02 Apr 2025 Not open

For talented, emerging research leaders with ambitions to establish or expand an independent research group at a Danish institution, and to pursue novel and important research questions within skin and skin diseases.

Grants of DKK 12 million are awarded for a five-year period.

DEADLINE: 2 April 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Online application

Research Grants in open competition (round 2)

05 Feb 2025 02 Apr 2025 Not open

To support the best dermatology research projects worldwide.

It is important that the applicant carefully reads the application guide before initiating the application process, as this document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.

DEADLINE: 2 April 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

LEO Foundation Award – Region EMEA

06 Feb 2025 03 Apr 2025 Not open

The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognizes promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers.

Three awards are made each year, one in each of the regions: Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia-Pacific. Each award is worth USD 100,000.

DEADLINE for self-nomination: 3 April 2025 (16:00 CEST)

NB: The content of the application guide may be subject to change. Changes relevant for a given call will be implemented prior to opening of that call.

Application guide

Online application

Education and Awareness Grants (round 2)

10 Feb 2025 07 Apr 2025 Not open

To strengthen the pipeline of future researchers within the fields of medicine, chemistry, and pharmacy, and to raise awareness about science, including skin and skin diseases.

It is important that the applicant carefully reads the application guide before initiating the application process, as this document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.

DEADLINE: 7 April 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Apply by mail here

LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers (round 1)

11 Feb 2025 08 Apr 2025 Not open

To stimulate a cohesive and agile skin research ecosystem by supporting temporary embedment of skin researchers in a foreign research environment with the aim of fostering genuine international collaborations and strengthening the exchange of knowledge, ideas, methodology, and technology between Danish and international skin research communities.

DEADLINE: 8 April 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Online application

Research Networking Grants (round 1)

11 Feb 2025 08 Apr 2025 Not open

Through our Research Networking Grants, we seek to enable knowledge-sharing and facilitate networking and collaborations within the skin research community by providing researchers and students with opportunities to present and discuss the newest research within their field. 

DEADLINE: 8 April 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Online application

Serendipity Grants

29 Apr 2025 24 Jun 2025 Not open

For novel and unexpected, also known as serendipitous, discoveries made by current LEO Foundation
grantees.

Grants of up to DKK 4 million are awarded for a two-year period.

DEADLINE: 24 June 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Online application

LEO Foundation Award – Region Asia-Pacific

01 May 2025 26 Jun 2025 Not open

The LEO Foundation Award was born out of the aim of advancing the understanding and treatment of skin diseases and strengthening the pipeline of excellent dermatology researchers. It recognizes promising young talents and hopefully provides a boost to their future careers.

Three awards are made each year, one in each of the regions: Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia-Pacific. Each award is worth USD 100,000.

DEADLINE for self-nomination: 26 June 2025 (16:00 CEST)

NB: The content of the application guide may be subject to change. Changes relevant for a given call will be implemented prior to opening of that call.

Application guide

Online application

Research Grants in open competition (round 3)

31 Jul 2025 11 Sep 2025 Not open

To support the best dermatology research projects worldwide.

It is important that the applicant carefully reads the application guide before initiating the application process, as this document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.

DEADLINE: 11 September 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Education and Awareness Grants (round 3)

04 Aug 2025 30 Sep 2025 Not open

To strengthen the pipeline of future researchers within the fields of medicine, chemistry, and pharmacy, and to raise awareness about science, including skin and skin diseases.

It is important that the applicant carefully reads the application guide before initiating the application process, as this document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.

DEADLINE: 30 September 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Apply by mail here

LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers (round 2)

05 Aug 2025 01 Oct 2025 Not open

To stimulate a cohesive and agile skin research ecosystem by supporting temporary embedment of skin researchers in a foreign research environment with the aim of fostering genuine international collaborations and strengthening the exchange of knowledge, ideas, methodology, and technology between Danish and international skin research communities.

DEADLINE: 1 October 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Online application

Research Networking Grants (round 2)

05 Aug 2025 01 Oct 2025 Not open

Through our Research Networking Grants, we seek to enable knowledge-sharing and facilitate networking and collaborations within the skin research community by providing researchers and students with opportunities to present and discuss the newest research within their field. 

DEADLINE: 1 October 2025 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide (NB: the 2025 application guide will be published before the call opens)

Online application

Meet the Dr Abildgaard Fellows

2024

Wenning Zheng

University of Copenhagen, LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center

Nikolai Loft

Department of Dermatology and Allergy – Herlev and Gentofte Hospital

Stinne Ravn Greisen

Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University

Rune Kjærsgaard Andersen

Department of Dermatology and Allergy – Herlev and Gentofte Hospital

2023

Aida Hansen

University of Southern Denmark, Department of Molecular Medicine

Terkild Brink Buus

University of Copenhagen, LEO Foundation Skin Immunology Research Center

Stine Rønholt

University of Copenhagen, LEO Foundation Center for Cutaneous Drug Delivery

About Dr Abildgaard

Knud Abildgaard (1901-1986)

The LEO Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr.h.c. Knud E. Abildgaard, who at the time was the owner of LEO Pharma.

Learn more

Please contact the grant team for further information

Eva Bang-Hansen

Scientific Management Assistant

eva.bang-hansen@leo-foundation.org

+ 45 25 36 07 70

Signe Rømer Holm

Scientific Officer

signe.holm@leo-foundation.org

+45 53 70 66 18

Eva Benfeldt

Senior Scientific Officer

eva.benfeldt@leo-foundation.org

+ 45 31 39 93 23

Lars Kruse

Senior Scientific Officer

lars.kruse@leo-foundation.org

+45 30 46 42 91