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Making waves in Denmark

A gravitational waves researcher on the scheme that allowed him to build a team

The Villum Foundation is one of six foundations built from the fortune of Villum Kann Rasmussen, the man who established the Velux window company. 

Its Young Investigator Programme, or Yip, helps early career researchers in the technical and natural sciences to set up their own labs in Denmark.

The scheme is open to both Danish and overseas researchers. The funding limit for those currently employed by a Danish university is 7 million kroner (€940,000), and for researchers based outside Denmark it is DKr9m. Grants can run for up to five years, with the possibility of a three-year extension, known as Yip+, for a specified project.

The foundation has around DKr130m available for the scheme this year, and the deadline is 8 June. 

Jose María Ezquiaga, assistant professor at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen and one of the 22 Villum young investigators for 2023, suggests that those weighing up an application to next year’s competition should consider getting started on their preparations now.

Tell me about your project.

My project focuses on trying to extract information about the early universe from gravitational-wave observations. I’m trying to learn about cosmology from these signals. One of the things I want to do with this project is to better measure the expansion of the universe with gravitational waves. 

I’m part of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo) collaboration in the US. But for my project, we do more theoretical work and data analysis—we don’t directly work with the experiment; rather, we analyse the data.

How did you hear about Yip?

I was first offered a position at the Niels Bohr Institute early last year. My colleagues mentioned these opportunities and I decided to apply. I was not previously aware of this grant. It only funds Danish institutions, although you can apply from anywhere. I’m Spanish and I was applying from the US. My project won DKr8m. This is money that is to fund a group, so I will be hiring a few postdocs and PhD students.

How did you prepare for your application?

There are a few previous winners at the Niels Bohr Institute, so it was helpful to talk with them and understand their experiences. The leadership team also advised me. This scheme has some peculiarities, including that the panel comprises top scientists from across many branches of science. There were only two physicists on my panel and no one from my specific area.

How did that influence your bid?

It meant that when I was preparing the application, I had to write it to be comprehensible for people who are not experts in my field but are experts in science and in evaluating problems. It’s very tricky because you have to make it clear and not use technical terms, but at the same time you have to demonstrate that you’re ready to do it.

I also made sure that I started my application early. You don’t need to be working on it full time for months, but from my experience if you write something and then wait a while before you read it again, you see it with fresh eyes. You can see what makes sense and what doesn’t.

Was there an interview?

Yes. The full panel was there, which was maybe 10 people, but there were probably only three asking me questions. 

I did a little rehearsal with the people at the Niels Bohr Institute, which was particularly helpful. I thought my presentation was clear and understandable for everyone, but it turned out it was not. In my first draft I was very much focused on the science, but in the second I made clear from the beginning what my background is and why I am the right person for the grant, before I discussed the science and the potential impact of my project.

How did you show you are an exceptional scientist?

That’s always difficult! Because the assessors are not really experts in your field, they are looking for signals that your colleagues believe in your abilities. I was—and still am—the co-chair of the lensing group in the Ligo collaboration, so that’s an important leadership role for which I was selected by my colleagues. You also need to be able to have your own research line and your own ideas and show that you can supervise people, which I could do.

What advice would you give others considering an application?

Really think about whether you want to do this. On paper it sounds great, and for me it is fantastic to be able to create my own group, but this also comes with a lot of responsibilities and a lot of extra tasks. As a group leader, you have to manage the group, get ideas for others and so on. It’s not like life as a postdoctoral fellow, where you are essentially just doing your science.

I would also advise getting as much feedback as possible. Don’t be shy about sending your application to lots of people; most won’t give you any feedback, but some will. 

This is an extract from an article in Research Professional’s Funding Insight service. To subscribe contact sales@researchresearch.com