Project field

Applicants can apply for support of projects that increase the science capital of children and young people by showing them how they can work with science and technology and what it can lead to.

Projects may involve open school collaborations between educational institutions (basic school and youth education), companies, outreach centers, organisations or higher education institutions (vocational or academic education) with the aim of illustrating possible job and career opportunities as well as role models within STEM. The projects may also illustrate how natural science and technology contribute to the solution of important societal challenges like sustainability, climate and energy production e.g. based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The projects must target children and young people in primary and lower secondary education and youth educations in Denmark. Applicants may apply for grants for developing and implementing methods, materials and resources for teaching, network and open school collaborations or for development projects to improve the competencies of teachers. Please note that applicants may only apply for funding to participate in courses that have been developed as part of the project for which a grant has been applied.

Projects promoting role models, educational opportunities and careers within STEM towards children and young people outside the formal educational system – for example via relevant media, activities or exhibitions – are also included in this call.

Eligibility

The applicant must be engaged in natural science education and/or outreach within the Danish Realm.

During the grant period, the applicant must be a leader or project responsible at a public sector and/or non-profit organization (the administering institution), including educational institutions, knowledge institutions, associations or municipalities in Denmark.

Private companies may apply for grants for noncommercial projects with nonprofit aims.

The Foundation has four calls for applications in 2020 within natural science education and outreach. A person may only be the main applicant for one application in these four calls. Co-applicants are not subject to similar rules.

Applications which fall within this call will not be considered in the two more general calls for: Project grants for natural science education and informal learning environments in spring and fall 2020. Applications which fall within the call for Project grants for innovative science communication and debate will not be considered in this call.

The information and guidelines for applicants provide more information on the general rules for applications. The guideline will be available before the application round opens.

Funding

A total of up to DKK 40 million is available for grants between DKK 100,000 and DKK 6,000,000 for projects of up to 6 years duration.

Applicants may apply for support for development projects and follow-up research in connections with applied for development projects. The call does not include funding for basic research projects.

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

The Novo Nordisk Foundation will not award grants for:

• commercial activities;
• buildings; and
• overhead (such as rent, electricity, water and maintenance).

The information and guidelines for applicants provide information on which types of expenses applicants may apply for funding for.

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.

It is important that applicants read all information and guidelines for applicants since they contain detailed information on the application process. The box on how to apply at the top of this page has a link to the information and guidelines for applicants.

Assessment criteria

The Foundation’s Committee on the advancement of children and young people’s knowledge of possibilities and solutions within science and technology 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’s institution;
• the quality of the project for the discipline;
• the relevance and importance of the proposed project, and how it builds on any existing knowledge and initiatives;
• the project plan, method and feasibility of the project to be implemented, including plan for evaluation and knowledge dissemination;
• expected benefit for the target group and in relation to knowledge building;
• the capacity and qualifications of any co-applicants and collaboration partners; and
• if relevant, the embeddedness, originality, scalability and opportunities for dissemination of the project throughout Denmark.

Information and Guidelines

Read more about the application process in the “Information and Guidelines for applicants”.

Find the presentation from the information meetings in Copenhagen and Vejle (in Danish) here.