Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programmes

Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Programmes is a flagship research route under the Novo Nordisk Foundation, built around annually selected themes tied to major societal and planetary challenges. Each cycle invites leading researchers to assemble teams for long-horizon work under a competitive theme-based call. The current record frames the 2027 cycle at up to DKK 600 million total, with individual awards up to DKK 75 million over as long as six years. The grant route is open to Danish projects and requires a consortium. The 2027 themes span AMR diagnostics for lower respiratory tract infections, heat and hypertension, hybrid bio-electrocatalysis, and earth-abundant materials for sustainable technologies. The program is aimed at ambitious research with enough depth to justify a large, sustained award. Success depends on a strong team, a coherent research problem, and a proposal that can hold scientific ambition over a six-year horizon. Because the themes change every year, applicants need to align tightly with the specific annual challenge rather than pitch a generic center proposal.

No upcoming rounds verified. Cadence: Annual.