Apply for Research Grants in open competition

About the grant

Our Research Grants are open competition grants given to support the best dermatology research projects worldwide. 

We welcome applications for research projects that improve the understanding of the underlying medicinal, biological, chemical, or pharmacological mechanisms of dermatological diseases and their symptoms.

We also welcome applications for projects that address clinical issues among people who are at risk of developing, or have developed, a skin disease, including how it impacts their quality of life and the societal costs involved.

Application deadlines

Calls are announced on an ongoing basis. Submission period will open four weeks prior to each deadline.

Please find the application deadlines for the research grants in the list below.

Grant Opens Deadline

Serendipity Grants 2024

14 May 2024 25 Jun 2024 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 five-year period.

Application guidelines will be made available before next call opens.

DEADLINE: 25 June 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Online application

LEO Foundation Dr Abildgaard Fellowships 2024

01 Feb 2024 17 Apr 2024 Apply now

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: 17 April 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers 2024 – Round 1

27 Feb 2024 10 Apr 2024 Apply now

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: 10 April 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

LEO Foundation Visiting Researchers 2024 – Round 2

15 Aug 2024 02 Oct 2024 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: 2 October 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Research Networking Grants – Round 1

27 Feb 2024 10 Apr 2024 Apply now

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: 10 April 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Research Networking Grants – Round 2

15 Aug 2024 02 Oct 2024 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: 2 October 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Research Grants in open competition 2024 – round 1

20 Nov 2023 08 Jan 2024 Closed

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 2024 (16:00 CET)

Application guide

Online application

Research Grants in open competition 2024 – round 2

19 Feb 2024 02 Apr 2024 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: 2 April 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Research Grants in open competition 2024 – round 3

01 Aug 2024 12 Sep 2024 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: 12 September 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Education and Awareness Grants 2024 – round 1

27 Nov 2023 15 Jan 2024 Closed

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: 15 January 2024 (16:00 CET)

Application guide

Apply by mail here

Education and Awareness Grants 2024 – round 2

27 Feb 2024 09 Apr 2024 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: 9 April 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Apply by mail here

Education and Awareness Grants 2024 – round 3

20 Aug 2024 01 Oct 2024 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: 1 October 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Apply by mail here

LEO Foundation Award 2024 – Region Americas

21 Nov 2023 09 Jan 2024 Closed

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 2024 (16:00 CET)

Application guide

Online application

LEO Foundation Award 2024 – Region EMEA

20 Feb 2024 02 Apr 2024 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: 2 April 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

LEO Foundation Award 2024 – Region Asia-Pacific

16 May 2024 27 Jun 2024 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: 27 June 2024 (16:00 CEST)

Application guide

Online application

Application process and guidance

The LEO Foundation’s Board of Trustees has established a formal evaluation process with a panel of national and international external experts to assist the Board in ensuring that our grants are given to the best projects and the most qualified applicants.

When the application deadline is reached, your application will be screened for mandatory requirements and if accepted, assigned for review by the LEO Foundation Scientific Evaluation Committee using the criteria and scoring guide shown in the application guide.

Based on the evaluations by the Scientific Evaluation Committee the Board approves all grants.

It will normally take approx. three months from application deadline to grant decision.

If and when your application is approved, you will be notified and assigned a dedicated contact person who will contact you for next steps.

All applicants receive an answer to their application by e-mail. The Foundation does not provide arguments as to why an application has been rejected but provides a few statistics about the application review and the round in general.

Guidance

The typical grant amount applied for is DKK 2–4 million for a period of 1–3 years.

Recipients of a LEO Foundation standalone grant can apply for the open competition research grants.

Application guide

Evaluation process

Once the call deadline has expired, the Foundation’s secretariat screens your application for formal requirements and if approved, sends it to an independent expert committee for evaluation. The evaluation process follows the path illustrated below.

The Foundation generally uses committees consisting of internationally recognized, independent experts to evaluate the applications for grants and awards that are submitted in open competition.

Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC)

The LEO Foundation has appointed an independent Scientific Evaluation Committee (SEC) for evaluation of applications received in open competition.

Learn more about our committees:

Committee member Titles

Alan Irvine

Professor, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin (Ireland)

Carsten Bindslev-Jensen

Professor, MD, DMSc, PhD, Department of Clinical Allergology, Odense University Hospital Svendborg (Denmark)

Emmanuella Guenova

Associate Professor, M.D. PhD, University of Lausanne (Switzerland)

Johann E. Gudjonsson

MD, PhD, Arthur C. Curtis Professor of Skin Molecular Immunology Professor, Dermatology Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Emerging Scholar, University of Michigan, Department of Dermatology (USA)

Luigi Naldi

Director, MD, Centro Studi GISED (Italy)

Maria Kasper

Associate Professor, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)

Niroshana Anandasabapathy

Associate Professor, PhD. M.D., Weill Cornell Medicine (USA)

Paola di Meglio

Lecturer, King's College London (United Kingdom)

Rune Hartmann

Professor, PhD, Department Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University (Denmark)

We do not support

Applications that are not submitted online, or applications that are not in compliance with our application requirements and guidance are not eligible for support.

Moreover, we do not support:

  • Graduate students below PhD students and/or academic fees except PhD-tuition fees
  • Administration or overhead costs exceeding 5%
  • Participation in domestic meetings or courses
  • Passive attendance at conferences
  • Expenses incurred prior to making an application or obtaining a grant
  • Research projects about skin cancer
  • Research projects involving commercial companies
  • Research projects involving commercial drug testing
  • Clinical trials and register-based studies testing medical compounds
  • Applications from other foundations or associations, including patient organisations

Please contact the grant team for further information

Anne-Marie Engel

Chief Scientific Officer

Anne-Marie is Chief Scientific Officer at the LEO Foundation and responsible for the Foundation’s grant activities.

Anne-Marie’s background includes:

  • Novo Nordisk Foundation, Director of Strategic Partnerships
  • Lundbeck Foundation, various positions including Director of Grants
  • Statens Serum Institut, Senior Researcher
  • The Bartholin Institute, Copenhagen University Hospital, Postdoc

Anne-Marie holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree as well as a PhD in tumour immunology – both from the University of Copenhagen.

Other positions

  • Museum of Natural History, Oslo, Chair of the Board, 2022-
  • Danish Academy of Technical Sciences, Member of the praesidium
  • Dagmar Marshall’s Foundation, Board member
  • University of Oslo, Board member (2013-2021)

Joined the LEO Foundation in 2022.

+45 27 38 60 59

anne-marie.engel@leo-foundation.org

LinkedIn

Lars Kruse

Senior Scientific Officer

Lars is responsible for coordinating the Foundation’s grants and handles scientific and administrative matters relating to the Foundation’s donations. He also works on further developing the philanthropic area.

Lars has a scientific background having worked in academic research for 16 years on projects ranging from molecular mechanisms in migraine over COPD to sleep disorders and osteoporosis.

Lars holds an MSc in human biology and a PhD in neuroscience, both from University of Copenhagen.

Joined the Foundation in 2017.

+45 30 46 42 91
lars.kruse@leo-foundation.org
LinkedIn

Signe Rømer Holm

Scientific Officer

Signe is responsible for various areas related to the Foundation’s grants, both in terms of guidelines for applications, review processes and measuring impact. She is also involved in further developing the philanthropic area with new grant making instruments.

Signe has extensive experience in administration and grants. She has previously worked as Senior Grant Manager at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, as Administrative Coordinator at DTU Health Technology and as Project Manager at Innovation Fund Denmark.

Signe holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Danish Language and Literature from University of Copenhagen.

Joined the Foundation in 2022

+45 53 70 66 18
signe.holm@leo-foundation.org
LinkedIn