The DDC x TrygFonden Fellowship Program is run by the Digital Democracy Centre at the University of Southern Denmark with support from TrygFonden. It brings academic, journalist and policy fellows into projects about digital technology and AI in media, politics and democracy.
Fellows work with a confirmed DDC mentor and a practice partner, combining remote work with planned periods in Odense. Projects should create usable outputs such as policy briefs, educational packages or public talks; relevance to Denmark and projects linked to the 2027 Hybrid Warfare Initiative are priorities rather than eligibility gates.
Benefits & funding
- Each fellow works with a self-selected DDC mentor and may use DDC research resources, flexible workspaces, speaker series and networks.
- The fellowship may provide either a salary subsidy or a stipend to help with travel and housing; the final form and amount depend on the approved individual agreement.
- Eligible budget requests may include travel, short-stay accommodation and subsistence in Odense, research costs, events, outreach and necessary equipment. A stipend normally covers at most approximately one to two months of salary in total; projects needing more substantial compensation may be organized as short-term SDU employment.
- The fellowship is typically two to six months, may be longer in exceptional cases and can combine remote periods with shorter stays at DDC.
- Fellows receive a platform for their work and join the DDC alumni network after completing the fellowship.
Eligibility
- The call is for researchers, journalism graduates and policymakers working on digital technology and democracy in academic, educational, media, government, civil-society or related organizations.
- Applicants must propose a 2027 fellowship project with a practice partner and submit the application in English.
- A confirmed DDC mentor is mandatory; an application without one is rejected. Applicants must also secure advance support from their current supervisor, department head or manager where applicable.
- The call publishes no nationality, residency, age, gender or years-of-experience restriction and sets no universal degree threshold across the three fellowship routes.
Can you apply?
Open to all applicants
No nationality, residency, education, or experience limits are listed.
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Application process
- 1Choose the academic, journalist or policy fellowship route and develop a project with clear relevance to DDC’s themes and a practice partner.
- 2Contact an eligible DDC mentor and obtain confirmation, then coordinate support with the applicant’s current supervisor, department head or manager where applicable.
- 3Complete the official application form in English with the project title, description, timeline, work plan, planned outputs and confirmed mentor.
- 4Attach a CV of no more than five pages and a realistic, justified budget in Danish kroner following the official budget guidelines.
- 5Email the completed application form and CV as PDF files to ddc@sdu.dk with the subject DDC / TrygFonden Fellowship application by 1 September 2026.
Program timeline
Application deadline
Sep 1, 2026
Applicants informed no later than this date
Oct 1, 2026
Fellowship starts on an individually agreed date
2027