Eligibility

The grant is for principal investigators at associate professor level to consolidate their research groups and reach their full potential as research leaders.

• Applicants should be associate professors, senior researchers or at an equivalent level. Professors or researchers who at the time of application have been offered and/or accepted a professorship, including MSO, cannot apply for this call – but can apply for NNF’s ‘Distinguished Investigator’ grant
• Applicants must have their own research group
• Applicants may be basic/experimental researchers or clinician researchers
• Applicants should have completed their PhD within approximately the past eight to 18 years.
• The applicant is expected to have a documented track record of excellent research, and must at the time of application have senior authorships demonstrating independence and direction within their line of research.
• The projects of high international standard must be anchored at a hospital, university or other non-profit research institution (administrating host institution) in a Nordic country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden).
• The applicant cannot have a grant portfolio exceeding an annual total of DKK 4 million (excluding possible overhead) in the year of commencing the project.
• The applicant cannot be a group leader in one of the NNF centres, where research support is included in the affiliation to the centre.

A full list of eligibility requirements is found in the ‘Information and guidelines for applicants’.

Research fields

The overall goal is to obtain new knowledge and better treatment or prevention of disease relevant to the human organism within the areas of endocrinology and metabolism, relating to cellular energy homeostasis, and hormonal disorders of the endocrine system.

Areas supported include research involving patients and/or clinical practice but could also include animal models, model organisms, cellular- or sub-cellular systems (with clear whole body relevance) as well as in silico analysis, with the overall purpose of solving challenges related to endocrinology and metabolism in health and disease. Please note that endocrinology is not restricted to diabetes. Research projects within all subfields of endocrinology, e.g. thyroid, reproduction, or bone and calcium metabolism can be supported.

Funding

Up to four 5-year grants, each of up to DKK 11.4 million, can be awarded, with DKK 2.28 million per year. The grants may be utilized for e.g. the applicants own salary and consumables directly related to the project.

Process

Applications must be completed and submitted using the foundation’s electronic application system. The Committee on Endocrinology and Metabolism will assess the applications.

Please read the ”Information and Guidelines for Applicants” carefully before initiating the application process. Additional and essential information is found in these guidelines.