Deadline: 12-Jan-2026
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is requesting applications for its Ascending Investigator Grants Programme to support the continued development and consolidation of excellent research leaders within industrial biotechnology and environmental biotechnology in the Nordic countries.
The proposed research should tackle major challenges in industrial or environmental biotechnology through fundamental studies with strategic potential for scaling, sustainability, and productivity.
Projects must include a clear biotechnological component and may focus on engineering biological systems or microorganisms for valuable product synthesis, developing bioproduction technologies, improving biomanufacturing efficiency, applying biotechnology for environmental protection, studying or manipulating ecosystems, or using data science to advance biotechnology and related ecosystem research.
A total of up to DKK 25 million is available for grants under this call, with each individual grant amounting to a maximum of DKK 12.50 million over a five-year period. Funding may cover salaries for the applicant (if non-tenured), PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, technical assistants, and operating expenses such as lab consumables, chemicals, computing resources, and analytical costs.
Equipment costs may not exceed 20% of the total budget. Additional allowable expenses include conference participation, travel for collaborative research, publication costs, and PhD tuition fees. The Novo Nordisk Foundation will not provide funding for commercial activities, overhead or indirect costs, or double funding of projects.
Projects must be hosted at a university or non-profit research institution located in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden. The host institution will administer the grant and is responsible for providing the necessary infrastructure, laboratory, and administrative support.
Grant recipients and all project members must be employed at the host institution throughout the grant period. A hosting letter signed by the head of department confirming institutional support and facilities is mandatory.
The Ascending Investigator Grant targets established research group leaders at the associate professor level or equivalent, ideally with 7–18 years of post-PhD research experience, who have demonstrated independence and leadership in their scientific careers.
Applicants are expected to lead their own research groups and possess strong track records in high-impact research publications, technology development, and contributions to the scientific community. Professors, including MSO, are not eligible under this category.
If identical or overlapping proposals have been submitted elsewhere, this must be disclosed. The Foundation must also be notified if the applicant receives alternative funding for the same project after submission.
Applications will be evaluated by the Foundation’s Committee on Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology. Key assessment criteria include scientific quality and potential impact, the applicant’s leadership and research track record, and the strategic relevance of the project to sustainable industrial or environmental biotechnology. Independence, originality, and clear project ownership are essential evaluation components.
Applications must include a detailed project description outlining the major challenges, research questions, methodologies, contingency plans, and expected outcomes, along with a brief CV, publication list, and lay summary. Projects may commence no earlier than May 2026 and no later than April 2027.
For more information, visit Novo Nordisk Foundation.
