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Project Grants for research within Plant Science, Agriculture and Food Biotechnology

Call opens
18 June 2021
Call closes
26 August 2021 2:00pm (CET)
Announcement of results
December 2021
Recurring calls
Expected June 2022
Application guidelines

Purpose

The Novo Nordisk Foundation wishes to make significant contributions to the sustainability of society and the environment, including research in sustainable food and biomass. Grants within Plant Science, Agriculture and Food Biotechnology support excellent fundamental research with a strategic perspective addressing the major questions and challenges within these fields. The proposed research must involve a clear element of biotechnology*, have an outlook to scaling potential(s) while contributing to productivity and sustainability.

The research projects should preferably include one or more of the following topics:

  • Plants with increased productivity, resiliency, nutritional content and/or resource-use efficiency
  • Development of plants for food, fibre, fuels, materials, chemicals and carbon storage
  • Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
  • Increased productivity and resiliency of agricultural systems
  • Fundamental research within sustainable foods and food processing
  • Functionality and the associated structures of food components
  • Data science to advance research within plant science, agriculture, and food biotechnology

The program does not support:

  • Research focusing on livestock, livestock commodities and feed.
  • Research with a main component within nutritional uptake and metabolic effects of specific foods.

Proposals focusing on industrial biotechnology or environmental biotechnology should be submitted to the Novo Nordisk Foundation Committee on Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology, while proposals with a focus on pharmaceuticals and therapeutics should be submitted to the Novo Nordisk Foundation Committee on Bioscience and Basic Biomedicine.

*For the biotechnology requirement, the OECD short definition of biotechnology will be used as a reference for assessments. The OECD single definition of biotechnology is: the application of science and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter living or non-living materials for the production of knowledge, goods and services.

About the grant

Amount

Up to DKK 4 million per grant

Location

Denmark, Nordic Countries (excl. Denmark)

Career stage

PhD students, Postdoctoral fellowships, Research Leaders (Established/Prof.), Research Leaders (junior/non-tenured), Research Leaders (Mid-career/Associate Prof.)

Research area focus

Biotechnology-based Synthesis and Production

Committee

Committee on Plant Science, Agriculture and Food Biotechnology

Contact

For grant inquiries
Sisse Marquina-Jongberg
Senior Scientific Lead, PhD
[email protected]
Anastassia Khrouchtchova
Scientific Manager, PhD
[email protected]
Camilla Stensgaard Andersson
Grant Manager
[email protected]

Nordic Region

Eligibility

Researchers with an independent research program at a university or other non-profit research institution in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden are eligible to apply for these project grants.

Funding

Grants can support research activities at a level of DKK 300.000 – 1 million per year for 1 to 3 years. For projects having a main applicant and a co-applicant located in different Nordic countries, the maximum amount that may be applied for is DKK 1.35 million per year.

Grant funding is available for expenses including direct project costs as well as salary for scientific researchers, technical assistants, and PhD students. Funding from the grant cannot cover salary for the main applicant or co-applicants as well as general overhead costs. Up to 5 % administrative costs can be included.

Grants may fund an entire project or a clearly defined part of a major project (in the latter case, a summary of the major project must be included).

Application process

Applications must be completed and submitted using the online system following the instructions in the “Information and guidelines for applicants”. Additional essential information regarding eligibility, funding and the application process is found in this PDF. 

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