Deadline: 08-Jan-2026
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is inviting applications for its Exploratory Research Instrumentation Grant Programme to strengthen the Danish research and innovation environments by supporting the development of new research instrumentation and methodology that is not commercially available today and/or is significantly more sustainable or otherwise advantageous than commercially available solutions.
The goal of the programme is to develop novel research instrumentation and methodology from idea to prototype, create a strong Danish ecosystem for technology and method development by expanding the necessary scientific and technical expertise at non-profit research institutions, and facilitate new research and insights, as well as new research infrastructures, based on the instrumentation and/or methodology developed.
The instrumentation and/or methodology to be developed should enable research and development within NNF’s strategic focuses on biomedicine and health sciences, sustainability and biotechnology, natural and technical sciences as well as data science. Specific overarching research fields include biomedicine, clinical and translational medicine, industrial and environmental biotechnology, plant science, agriculture, and food biotechnology, natural sciences with potential applications in health or sustainability, technical sciences with potential applications in health or sustainability, and computational science, including data science, with potential applications in health or sustainability.
Funding of up to DKK 21 million is available, with individual grants ranging between DKK 2 million and DKK 7.6 million for projects lasting up to four years. Eligible expenses include salaries for non-permanent staff such as PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and technical staff, equipment and instrumentation costs, operating expenses, data management, travel, publication, intellectual property costs, and tuition fees for PhD students. The programme does not cover salaries for applicants or permanent staff, commercial activities, overhead costs, or double funding.
The programme provides financial support for innovative research projects designed to create new instruments or methodologies that can significantly advance Danish science. It is open to applicants holding a PhD degree and employed at least 80% at a Danish university or other non-profit research institution in positions such as postdoctoral researcher, scientist, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or academic technical staff. Applicants must demonstrate a clear interest and expertise in instrument or method development relevant to their proposed project.
Applications are evaluated by the internal NNF committee and international peer reviewers based on the scientific need, novelty, feasibility, and potential long-term impact of the proposed work. Reviewers will also consider the qualifications of the applicant, the reasonability of the budget, and the project’s alignment with NNF’s strategic goals. Projects demonstrating innovation, open access dissemination, and clear potential for advancing research infrastructures are strongly encouraged.
Applicants must submit detailed project information, including a title, brief description, and a comprehensive project proposal addressing scientific need, innovation, technical goals, project organisation, milestones, risks, and future plans. Supporting documents such as CV, publication list, and records of previous NNF grants must also adhere to specified character limits and formatting requirements.
The deadline for applications is 8 January 2026.
For more information, visit NNF.
