1924
The Novo Nordisk Foundation was established on 1 June 1924
Our vision is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet
Vision
Our focus areas
Health
Infectious diseases, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease are a threat to global public health.
Sustainability
We must solve the climate crisis and develop tomorrow’s food production so that we can feed a growing world population in a sustainable way.
Life science ecosystem
A robust life science ecosystem is a prerequisite for scientific breakthroughs and for developing new technologies that can help to solve major societal challenges.
World events such as climate change, food shortages, global public health and a pandemic affect our focus areas. In the coming years, we will increase our efforts to help to solve these urgent societal challenges.”
Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen
Professor, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation
Selected projects and initiatives
Pandemic Antiviral Discovery (PAD)
Together with Open Philanthropy and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has made an initial commitment of up to USD 90 million in coordinated funding towards the initiative in 2022.
AMR Action Fund – global initiative to combat antimicrobial resistance
Several leading pharmaceutical companies and foundations have raised USD 1 billion to launch the AMR Action Fund. The aim is to bring 2–4 new antibiotics to patients by 2030.
Coronavirus initiatives
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is supporting a number of initiatives in relation to combatting COVID-19.
Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine (reNEW)
The Foundation has awarded up to DKK 2.2 billion (300 million euro) over a 10-year for the centre, which is established as a partnership between three leading research institutions.
PIG-PARADIGM – research into the intestinal resilience of piglets
The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded DKK 150 million (€20.1 million) for an interdisciplinary research project that may lead to a reduction in the use of antibiotics in the pig farming industry.
LIFE
The nationwide science education initiative will receive up to DKK 1.9 billion from the Novo Nordisk Foundation over a ten-year period.
BioInnovation Institute Foundation
The Novo Nordisk Foundation launched the BioInnovation Institute (BII) in 2017, awarding DKK 465 million (EUR 64 million) in grants over the first three years. In 2021, BII was established as an independent foundation, for which the Novo Nordisk Foundation has made a commitment of DKK 3.5 billion (EUR 470 million) over a ten-year period.
Challenge Programme – research-based solutions to major societal challenges
Every year the Novo Nordisk Foundation awards grants totalling hundreds of millions of Danish kroner to ambitious research projects that can help solve global challenges within human health and the sustainability of the planet. Each project can receive up to DKK 60 million.
Our grants
The Novo Nordisk Foundation awards grants based on applications in open competition and supports a large number of different areas within health, sustainability and life science.
News
22 Nov 2022
Top researcher on eating disorders moves her research to Denmark
10 Nov 2022
New open collaborative platform will accelerate the development of plant-based foods
02 Nov 2022
Novo Nordisk Foundation grants DKK 25 million ($3.3 million) for completion of clinical trial to improve treatment outcomes for people with critical limb ischaemia
Support
What do we support?
We support a wide range of projects and initiatives that benefit people’s lives, society and the planet. We have three focus areas.
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Work
How do we work?
We provide support for projects in open competition and for stand-alone initiatives. In addition, we award numerous prizes for scientific research and education.
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About the Novo Nordisk Foundation
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is an independent Danish foundation with corporate interests. Our objectives are: 1) to provide a stable basis for the commercial and research activities of the companies in the Novo Group (Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S); and 2) to support scientific, humanitarian and social causes.
DKK 8.9 billion
In 2021, the Foundation awarded a total of DKK 8.9 billion in grants for new projects and initiatives.
Novo Holdings
The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s commercial activities are carried out by the Foundation’s fully owned subsidiary Novo Holdings. The purpose of Novo Holdings is to be a supportive owner of the Novo Group companies and to generate long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Novo Holdings has more than 100 active investments within the life science sector.
