California—Denmark Innovator Fellowship
An exciting new opportunity to experience the California foodtech, bioinnovation & sustainability ecosystem. Learn how to translate your research to innovation with leading research labs and venture capital investors and develop a unique network.
Application Deadline: 18 May 2025
New opportunity to be part of California-Denmark Innovator Fellowship
DTU is thrilled to announce a new fellowship program for postdocs from Danish universities working in food, agro, biosolutions or related areas, who are interested in learning how to commercialize their research into innovative solutions for sustainable food systems and planetary health.
The California-Denmark Fellowship program is a unique opportunity to spend 6 months at the University of California, Davis, advancing your career in the American research and innovation environment. The objective of your stay will be to learn how to translate your research discoveries into innovations that can have an impact.
Live in Davis, California for 6 months, where you will be immersed in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a fellow with the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, you will be immersed in a leading translational research lab, learning techniques for how to effectively bring research to market such as understanding technology readiness levels and de-risking technologies. Simultaneously, as part of IIFH you will conduct commercialization research activities such as developing an investment thesis and market assessment map, learn to conduct due diligence and more, with mentorship from IIFH venture capital partners. Supplemental seminars from UC Davis business faculty, startup founders and investors will round out your experience and prepare you as a leader in the academic innovation space.
Why University of California?
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A Global Leader: The University of California is the world’s leading research institution with a network of 10 campuses, 6 academic centres, 3 national laboratories, 41 Natural Reserve System locations and over hundreds of research outposts. Davis is the leader of this system when it comes to food.
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World-Class Research Facilities: Collaborate with leading experts in food, metabolic health, nutrition, agricultural and environmental sciences, life sciences and more, and get involved in their state-of-the-art laboratories.
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Applied Opportunities in Innovation: Build on the lab research experience at UC Davis by complementary exposure to commercialization research through the Innovation Institute for Food and Health’s venture capital network,partners, the UC Davis Graduate School of Management, and more.
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Beautiful California: Experience the laid-back but exciting and professional lifestyle of Northern California while advancing your academic and business journey.
Ever wondered what happens in California and how life is there?
Check this exciting video with our American colleague Scott and discover the sunny California - from cost of living to lifestyle and culture.
Get ready for your next adventure!
Read and discover more about the programme in the drop-down bars below.
Eligibility criteria
- Open to all Postdocs who have completed their Ph.D. within the last five years.
- Strong research background and a passion for innovation.
- Food Science, Technology or Engineering
- Biotechnology and Biosolutions
- Agricultural Science, Technology or Engineering
- Nutrition, metabolic health
- Planetary or environmental health
- Computational, data science or related methodologies applied to of the fields above
- Any other field as it relates to solving food and planetary health challenges
Please note: Applicants from all nationalities should consider whether they will be able to obtain, within a reasonable amount of time, the visas necessary for entry and stay in the USA for a period of at least 6 months.
Timeline for the first cohort of Danish fellows selected to go to California
January - February 2026
Preparation and engagement with US fellows in Denmark:
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Danish fellows would connect with fellows coming from UC Davis, attending events together in Denmark and creating a network
February 2026 - June 2026
Danish fellows travel to UC Davis:
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Danish fellows would relocate to UC Davis to begin their engagement with the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, conducting both technical and commercial research.
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Starting in June, UC Davis fellows will return to California and reconnect with their Danish counterparts on the UC Davis campus for networking and activities
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July 2026: Final Colloquium Event in California
The programme and its key collaborators and hosts
Programme overview
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is a global leader in food systems research, innovation, and translation. UC Davis and universities in Denmark intend to strengthen their ties through collaborative development of sustainable solutions for food and planetary health.
Each country is identifying top talent to immerse in each other’s ecosystem, learning tools for turning research into real-world solutions while connecting and learning from each other in each country.
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Get to know top food and health research fellows from California while they visit Denmark in the Winter, showing them Danish life and culture.
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Then, move to Davis, California for 6 months.
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Learn how to apply your research and understand how to transform it into use-inspired innovation.
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Engage in UC Davis labs where you will be able to experience cutting edge technologies in the fields of food, metabolic and planetary health. We will help you identify a lab relevant for your research area.
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Understand the process of research commercialization, including how investors select the most promising technologies for impact. Understand how to assess a market, the promise of a technology, how to differentiate your venture from others, and build networks and connections.. Participate in business and educational programs such as management seminars, entrepreneur academies, and presentations from local founders and innovators.
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Participate in excursions and conferences with focus on food and planetary health innovation, entrepreneurship and networks.
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Reconnect with California fellows when they return to UC Davis in the Summer.
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Present with these fellows at a final colloquium event in California, sharing your learnings, research, startup ideas and more.
About the programme in depth
This bilateral innovation exchange program “California - Denmark Innovator Fellowship” is strategically positioned to enhance the robust innovation ecosystems of both California and Denmark by focusing on critical areas of food and planetary health. Over the 3 years, we will recruit, train and engage up to 18 early career researchers from Denmark and the UC system at the rate of six per year–three fellows from each country. The fellowship programme is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and UC-Davis.
Mission: The fellows will be able to understand the translation of academic research into innovation and entrepreneurial activities.
Vision: Fellows will become the next generation of innovative leaders driving use-inspired research bringing development of better solutions for human and planetary health.
Value: The project is also aiming to strengthen the relationship between Denmark and the U.S. that supports and invests in innovative leaders. We believe that the fellows will play an important role in the future commercialization of groundbreaking academic research helping to solve the challenge of sustainable healthy food production.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to elevate your research career at one of the top universities in the world! Apply now and take the next step towards a brighter future.
About the Innovation Institute for Food and Health
IIFH fosters impactful partnerships with food companies, investors, and researchers to drive interdisciplinary solutions in food and planetary health. Through programs like this fellowship, IIFH bridges the gap between academia and industry, accelerating the commercialization of innovative technologies.
Discover more about the Innovation Institute for Food and Health by clicking here.
Key collaboration partners and hosts
While at UC Davis, fellows will engage in a research lab learning tools for applying use-inspired research. Simultaneously, fellows will engage with the Innovation Institute for Food and Health, where they will conduct commercialization research including landscape analyses, crafting investment theses, understanding how to perform due diligence, and more, with mentorship and guidance from venture capital investors
Examples of activities include:
Siegel Lab: Primary translational research lab host
The UC Davis Siegel Lab at the Genome Center at UC Davis is available to host the initial fellows coming from Denmark. The goal of Siegel Lab is to live up to the classic tagline “Better Living Through Chemistry”, which they achieve through computational enzyme engineering. The Siegel Lab has developed and discovered enzymes that have resulted in a myriad of start-up companies in the food industry. Examples of this are Digestiva, an enzyme that helps with protein synthesis and digestion; and PVP biologics which developed an enzyme enabling people with celiac disease to tolerate accidentally ingested gluten. The Siegel Lab is a hub on the UC Davis campus, mentoring many students interested in food, health, and sustainability. Additional labs in the Food Science and other departments can be hosts as well.
For more information about the Siegel lab, click here: Home | Siegel Lab
The March Group (TMG): Primary venture capital mentor
The March Group is a venture capital firm located on the UC Davis campus, whose vision is to “lead the transition to better planetary health”. The March Group has invested in a variety of food companies, such as Meati, offering delicious mycelium “meat”; and Rivalz, a high-protein, high-fibre snack made in a highly sustainable fashion. Experts from the March Group will mentor fellows in their commercialization projects.
The fellow will learn what makes a venture investable, how to assess a promising market, how to craft an effective investment thesis and more under their guidance.
Events
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management and its entrepreneurship institute offers workshops and intensives on entrepreneurial thinking, first steps for a startup, etc.
1. UC Davis programming in business & entrepreneurship:
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3.5 day intensive Entrepreneurship Academy in February
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UC Davis Graduate School of Management hosts a unique immersion class - food & ag business challenges, led by c-suite executives of those companies, where students are called on to work collaboratively to solve real challenges in the business world.
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UC Davis biotechnology immersion (same as above but for biotechnologies)
2. Ecosystem events, and conferences:
- "learn from a local” talks at local incubator
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IIFH companies and hear the stories from their founders.
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Attend conferences in the bay area such as Future FoodTech and SynbioBeta.
3. Informal get-togethers such as our book club, serving as a chance to get together and discuss prevalent topics in business, startups, and food.
- Some previous books: Zero to One, Technically Food, Metabolical, Barons.
Application requirements and expectations
Application requirements
Please prepare the following documentation as part of your application:
1. Resume or CV with publication record (PDF)
2. Letter of interest (max 2 pages) detailing:
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current Postdoc research and its potential impact,
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why the program is of interest to you,
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how your career goals align,
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relevant prior experience
3. Letter of support from PI approving the applicant’s participation (max. 1 page)
4. Optional: Letter of recommendation from someone other than PI, speaking to complementary strengths (eg. business or professional experience outside the lab)
Please combine items 1-3 above ( or 1-4, if you also add the optional letter of recommendation), in the order they are listed, into one single PDF for submission. Further information can be found on the submission form.
Highly important - please note
- Applicants will not need to upload a copy of their passport at the time of application, but will be required to disclose it upon selection.
- You must be employed at a Danish university to apply.
- Postdoctoral Scholars from all Danish universities can apply for the fellowship.
Contact
If you experience any problems with your application, please contact us here: cadk-innovatorfellowship@food.dtu.dk
Expectations for your application process:
1. Prepare Your Documents: Fill out the questionnaire (basic information, including nationality), gather your CV and publication list, a personal statement, a letter of support from your PI; Optional: letter of recommendation.
- Personal Statement: Write a personal statement (2 pages) outlining your research interests and your interest in innovation (research translation, commercialization, interest in start-ups), career goals, and why you are interested in this fellowship.
- Letter of support: Recommendation letter from Postdoc’s PI that confirms their ability to participate in this program if selected (at a minimum) and speaks to their strengths (ideally).
2. Online Application: visit our application online form to fill out the online application form
3. Submit Supporting Materials: Upload your CV, personal statement, letter of support from your PI, and letter of recommendation (optional) through the online portal.
4. Selection process: Shortlisted candidates will be selected by a US-Denmark selection committee, ensuring there are no biases towards the overrepresentation of any one Danish institution.
5. Notification: Successful applicants will be notified via email and provided with further instructions.
Please note: Candidates must have support from PI approving the applicant’s engagement and approving their absence from their lab for 6 months.
Postdocs employed in Denmark with nationalities other than Danish, are welcome to apply, but must consider the immigration policies of the USA.
For Danish applicants: if you do not have a valid Danish passport with a suitable expiry date - How to apply for a Danish passport
Application process - Prepare yourself beforehand
How can I apply for the fellowship program “California-Denmark Innovator Fellowship”?
You can apply here:
- Directly from the START Denmark – California project page by clicking on the online application form
- Via DTU project website - Application form for the UC Davis project
Please note: Be aware that there is a specific period for application, and consider preparing the relevant documents in advance.
Contact: For any type of questions regarding the documents, please contact us here: cadk-innovatorfellowship@food.dtu.dk
Does the fellowship line up with the academic calendar?
Yes, the Fellowship will line up with the academic calendar.
Will I be able to continue my current research during the fellowship?
For the most part, you will need to put your Danish university research on pause. While at Davis, you will have a full slate of activities in both lab and commercial research. While the topics and learning outcomes should end up being applicable to your Danish research, there should not be an expectation for you to make meaningful progress in your home university responsibilities while abroad.
Can I apply for the fellowship more than once?
Yes, as long as you remain a postdoctoral scholar there is no limitation in applying for the fellowship program.
Do I need to have any experience in business or venture capital to apply?
This is not a mandatory requirement but having business or innovation experience could be considered as an additional benefit when making the overall evaluations of the candidates.
Who can apply?
All Danish and International postdocs that have current ongoing research at any Danish university.
Will there be another call for Fellows?
Yes, there will be two more rounds of calls.
Practical information
Compensation / Support
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Postdocs: Full coverage of salary + benefits while in California
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Full support for flights, travel and accommodation while in California
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Access to professional development, events and networking opportunities in California and Denmark through Spring 2026.
Selected fellows will be connected to UC Davis program coordinators, to assist with guidelines and help regarding housing, visa support, and cultural integration.
Housing, Visa and Support
For overall information and help regarding housing, visa, program engagement, excursions, and more, please contact IIFH (Innovation Institute for Food and Health) here:
FQA
FAQ
How can I apply for the fellowship program “California-Denmark Innovator Fellowship”?
You can apply either directly from the START Denmark - California project page by clicking the online apllication form or by the DTU project website: Innovation Institute for Food and Health: California-Denmark Innovator Fellowship Application 2025.
Note: Please, be aware that there is a specific period for application, and consider preparing the relevant documents in advance. For any type of questions regarding the documents, please contact us here: cadk-innovatorfellowship@food.dtu.dk
Does the fellowship line up with the academic calendar?
Yes, the Fellowship will line up with the academic calendar.
Will I be able to continue my current research during the fellowship?
For the most part, you will need to put your Danish university research on pause. While at Davis, you will have a full slate of activities in both lab and commercial research. While the topics and learning outcomes should end up being applicable to your Danish research, there should not be an expectation for you to make meaningful progress in your home university responsibilities while abroad.
Can I apply for the fellowship more than once?
Yes, as long as you remain a postdoctoral scholar there is no limitation in applying for the fellowship program.
Do I need to have any experience in business or venture capital to apply?
This is not a mandatory requirement but having business or innovation experience could be considered as an additional benefit when making the overall evaluations of the candidates.
Who can apply?
All Danish and International postdocs that have current ongoing research at any Danish university.
Will there be another call for Fellows?
Yes, there will be two more rounds of calls.
