Deadline: 31-Aug-23
Applicants are now invited to submit applications for Project grants to strengthen STEM subjects in vocational education and training in Denmark.
Purpose
- NNF wants to support general science education and cultivate interest, knowledge and competencies in natural science and technology among children, young people and the general population in Denmark.
- Through the call for applications, the Foundation seeks to contribute to strengthening the interest in and the quality of teaching STEM subjects at vocational education and training (EUD and EUX). The aim of this is to strengthen students’ competencies within the STEM subjects, and to ensure a strong grounding in natural science in their vocational occupation after graduation. In addition, the purpose is to strengthen recruitment of students in STEM-related vocational education.
Project Field
- Applicants can apply for support for projects that strengthen the quality of teaching the basic subjects within STEM and the STEM related content of subjects in programme specialisations in vocational education and training (EUD and EUX). This also applies to support for projects that can strengthen the STEM subjects’ contribution to the green transition, including also within sustainable food production. Applicants may also apply for funding of projects that aim to motivate more young people to choose a STEM-related vocational education.
- This could include:
- The development and implementation of methods, materials and resources for STEM teaching, including strengthening the cohesion between STEM related content in the basic subjects and in the subjects of the programme specialisations
- Activities with the aim to enhance recruitment and retention within STEM-related vocational education and training, science competitions, and special offers and activities for talented students at vocational education and training within STEM programmes
- Development projects to improve the competences of teachers and a holistic teaching approach within STEM basic subjects and subject programme specialisations with STEM content.
- Please note that applicants can only apply for support to participate in continuing education programmes that have been developed in the present project.
- The project’s activities must be aimed at target groups within the Danish Realm.
- Collaborations with industries/companies are encouraged.
Funding Information
- A total of up to DKK 20 million is available for grants between DKK 100,000 and DKK 6,000,000 for projects lasting up to 6 years.
- It is possible to apply for funding for development projects and follow-up research for the development project applied for. This call does not include sheer research projects.
- The project may be an independent, delimited project or a part of a larger project that is also supported by other partners.
Types of Expenses
- Applicants may apply for funding for the following types of expenses in the project:
- Salaries for employees or affiliated personnel at all staffing levels, including project management;
- researchers in permanent positions at universities and university colleges may apply for funds to pay for substitutes for the time they use in a development project if the project extends beyond the description of their duties in their position (such as communicating natural science research for target groups outside the university or university college);
- salaries for substitutes or paying the salaries of replacements for early-childhood educators and teachers so that they can develop and/or participate in projects;
- operating expenses: direct expenses for developing, implementing and operating projects, including materials and equipment;
- travel expenses in relation to the project, e.g. conference and workshop participation and presentation of results derived from the project;
- communication and outreach in the form of conferences, books, articles and other outreach directly related to the project;
- evaluation in connection with development projects;
- external auditing costs if the administering institution is not subject to public audit. Institutions that are not subject to audit by public authorities must carry out external audit, and the expenses for this must be included in the budget;
- administrative support (up to 5% of the applicant’s overall budget and included in it) to cover administrative expenses directly related to the project being based at an administering institution.
Eligibility Criteria
- During the grant period, the applicant must be a leader at or responsible for a project at the project’s administering institution. The administering institution must be a public institution and/or non-profit organisation, including educational institutions, municipalities, research institutions, museums or associations within the Danish Realm.
- Private companies may apply for grants for non-commercial projects with non-profit aims. In this case, the company itself acts as the administering institution.
- The Foundation has three calls for applications in 2023 within natural science education and outreach: Project grants for vocational education and training, Project grants for science communication and debate using novel communication platforms and Project grants for natural science education and informal learning environments. A person may only be the main applicant for one application in these calls. Co-applicants are not subject to similar rules. Applications, which fall within the calls for Project grants for natural science education and informal learning environments or Project grants for science communication and debate using novel communication platforms will not be considered in this call.
- A main applicant or project group with an active grant, which was awarded in the open competition calls within education and outreach in the period 2018-2021, is only able to apply for a new grant in the last year of the active grant. However, a new grant may not be paid out until the existing grant is completed. Depending on the organisation’s capacity, the Foundation may be able to dispense with this requirement under special circumstances if contacted.
- Recipients of grants from NNF of other types than the above mentioned may apply for this call. If you have an active grant from NNF, this may be taken into consideration in the evaluation of your application for a new grant. In general, it is recommended that grant recipients have delivered results on the active grant(s) before submission of a new application to NNF. If you apply, while having an active grant from NNF, you must describe how the project you propose in this application is different from and/or coherent with the project(s) already funded and briefly describe the progress of the already funded project(s).
Ineligibility Criteria
- NNF will not award funding for:
- Commercial activities;
- buildings; and
- overhead (such as rent, electricity, water and maintenance).
- Collaborating industries/companies cannot receive funding from the grant.
For more information, visit Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF).