Apply for grants

Project grants for Strengthening Vocational- and Profession-oriented Education within Technology, Sustainability and Health – 2024

Call opens
20 June 2024
Call closes
5 September 2024 2:00pm (CEST)
Announcement of results
December 2024
Recurring calls
June 2025
Application guidelines

Purpose

The Novo Nordisk Foundation aims to promote interest, knowledge, and competencies in science and technology, sustainability, and health.

Through this call of applications, the Foundation seeks to contribute to strengthening the interest in and the quality of teaching in vocational- and professional-oriented educations, such as vocational education and training (EUD/EUX), academy profession programmes (erhvervsakademiuddannelser), and professional bachelor educations (professionsbacheloruddannelser). The aim of this is to give the students a strong grounding in natural science and technology in their vocational occupation in sustainability and health.

In addition, the purpose is to strengthen the recruitment of students to vocational- and profession-oriented educations within sustainability and health.

Eligibility

During the grant period, the applicant must be a leader at or responsible for a project at the project’s administrating institution. The administrating 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 noncommercial projects with nonprofit aims. In this case, the company will be the administrating institution for the project.

The Foundation has three calls for applications in 2024 within natural science education and outreach:

  • Project grants for natural science education and informal learning environments
  • Project grants for novel science communication and public dialogue; and
  • Project grants for strengthening vocational- and profession-oriented education within technology, sustainability, and health.

It is only possible to be the main applicant on one application in these calls. Co-applicants are not subject to similar rules. Applications submitted for the calls Project grants for novel science communication and public dialogue or Project grants for novel science communication and public dialogue will not be considered in this call.

The information and guidelines for applicants provide more information on the general rules for applications.

About the grants

Amount

Up to DKK 6 million per grant

Location

Denmark

Committee

Komite for Naturvidenskabelig Uddannelse og Formidling

Contact

Contact regarding content: Maj Leth-Espensen. Contact regarding application/NORMA: Julie Krener.
Maj Leth-Espensen
Senior Project Manager
[email protected]
Julie Krener
Grant Manager
[email protected]

Project Field 

Applicants can apply for projects that strengthen the quality of teaching in STEM-related subjects and the development of competencies for the vocational- and profession-oriented educations* contributing to health and sustainability. Please note, that bachelor of engineering programmes (diplomingeniøruddannelser) are not included in this call for applications.)

This could include:

  • Development and implementation of methods, materials, and resources for education.
  • Development projects to improve the competencies of teachers. Please note that applicants can only apply for support to participate in continuing education programmes that have been developed in the present project.
  • Activities with the aim to enhance recruitment and retention within vocational- and professional-oriented education, e.g., science competitions, and special offers and activities targeted at students.

The project’s activities must be aimed at target groups within the Danish Realm.

Funding

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.

The project may be an independent, delimited project or a part of a larger project that is also supported by other partners.

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.

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 for salaries for research employees to be hired in connection with the project but may not apply for funds for their own salaries;
  • salaries for substitutes or paying the salaries of replacements for 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 and follow-up research in connection with development projects;
  • Project supplement in relation to follow up research (Danish universities)
  • 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 audits, 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.

The Foundation will not award funding for: 

  • Commercial activities
  • Overhead/indirect costs (such as rent, electricity, water and maintenance)
  • Double funding of projects:
    • If the applicant has received funding for the proposed project from other sources, in part or in full, this must be accounted for in the budget, as no budgetary overlaps are allowed
    • If an identical or overlapping project proposal has been submitted to other funding institutions than the Foundation, it must be noted in the application
    • If the applicant receives funding for the project, or parts of the project, from other sources following submission of the application to the Foundation, the Foundation must be informed immediately

Collaborating industries/companies cannot receive funding from the grant.

Language

The application system is in English, but applications can be submitted in either Danish or English. The language chosen will not influence the assessment of the application.

Application process

The application must be completed and submitted using NNF’s online application and grant management system, NORMA.

Before applying, it is important that applicants read Guidelines for applicants as they contain detailed information on the application process. Please note that the section regarding administrative support (under section 1.4 Funding) has been updated in the guidelines for applicants on 2 August 2024.

For further details, please refer to the guidelines available on this webpage.

Assessment criteria

  • The Foundation’s Committee on Science Education and Outreach will assess the applications based on the following criteria:
  • The project’s consistency with the purpose of the call for applications;
  • The capacity and qualifications of the applicant and the applicant institution;
  • The professional quality of the project;
  • The relevance and importance of the proposed project, and how it builds on possible existing knowledge and initiatives;
  • The project plan, method and feasibility to be implemented, including plan of evaluation and knowledge dissemination;
  • Expected benefit for the target group and in relation to knowledge building;
  • If relevant, the capacity and qualifications of the co-applicants and collaboration partners;
  • If relevant, the embeddedness, originality, scalability and opportunities for dissemination of the project throughout Denmark
  • if relevant, the research environment and research excellence.

 

Examples of relevant educational programmes (in Danish, not exhaustive)

ERHVERVSUDDANNELSER:
Industritekniker, industrioperatør, procesoperatør, elektriker, smed, VVS-energiuddannelsen, køletekniker, automatiktekniker, gastronomiuddannelsen, mejerist, landbrugsuddannelsen,

ERHVERVSAKADEMIUDDANNELSER:
laborant, procesteknolog og elinstallatør)

PROFESSIONSBACHELORUDDANNELSER UDBUDT PÅ ERHVERVSAKADEMIER, MASKINMESTERSKOLER ELLER PROFESSIONSHØJSKOLER:
maskinmester, bioanalytiker, ernæring og sundhed, natur og jordbrugsproduktion (Diplomingeniøruddannelser er ikke omfattet af dette opslag.)