Deadline: 08-Jan-2026
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is accepting applications for its Large Equipment and Facilities Grant Programme to strengthen the Danish research environment by supporting the establishment and maintenance of open-access infrastructures needed to achieve excellence in research and innovation.
The programme aims to provide researchers with access to state-of-the-art facilities, advanced equipment, and qualified technical assistance, while ensuring continuous development and maintenance of research infrastructure. It also seeks to strengthen broader research environments, including SMEs and incubators, that lack similar resources.
Support is directed toward infrastructures that enable research and development within NNF’s strategic areas—biomedicine, health sciences, sustainability, biotechnology, natural and technical sciences, and data science—covering key fields such as clinical medicine, biotechnology, plant and food science, and computational science with applications in health and sustainability.
Funding of up to DKK 150 million is available, with individual grants ranging from DKK 5 million to DKK 25 million for projects lasting up to six years. Eligible expenses include equipment purchase, establishment and installation of infrastructure, operational expenses such as materials and service contracts, and salaries for academic or technical staff involved in running and maintaining the equipment.
Funding can also cover training of technical personnel, user training activities for PhD students and postgraduates, data management, bench fees for personnel supported by the grant, and direct administrative expenses up to 5% of the requested amount. The foundation will not fund commercial activities, overhead costs, or projects already funded elsewhere.
The programme invites applications from researchers holding a PhD who are employed in time-unlimited positions such as senior scientists, academic technical staff, associate professors, or professors at universities or other non-profit research institutions in Denmark. The applicant must have their primary affiliation in Denmark and must demonstrate expertise at the highest level within their research field.
Applications will be assessed by an internal NNF committee and international peer review, focusing on scientific need, novelty of equipment, feasibility and suitability of organisation, accessibility to external users, applicant qualifications, budget reasonability, and alignment with NNF strategy. Infrastructures offering open access to external users will be prioritised, with clear justification required if open access is not possible.
The project description must include details on the need for infrastructure, institutional expertise, technical capability for operation and maintenance, user group estimation, and governance structure. It should also outline a realistic implementation timeline, management responsibilities, accessibility policies, training and outreach plans, business plan, data management strategy, necessary permits, and risk mitigation measures.
The deadline for applications is 8 January 2026.
For more information, visit NNF.
