The Novo Nordisk Foundation plans to increase annual grant payouts fourfold over the next 5 years.
The Foundation will continue to support existing areas and will further strengthen them. The Foundation also plans to broaden its scope in the future by supporting research and development that promotes a sustainable society and research in the technical and natural sciences that will help to create more scientific breakthroughs.
“Our vision is to contribute significantly to research and development that improves the lives of people and the sustainability of society,” says Sten Scheibye, Chairman of the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
“Our ambition is to increase the grant payouts to DKK 5 billion in 2023. This represents a fourfold increase compared with the 2017 level of DKK 1.3 billion. In short, we want to increase the support we provide to all existing areas and broaden the scope of our support to many other areas in which we are not especially active,” says Sten Scheibye.
A new focus area for the Foundation will be supporting the development of a more sustainable world through life sciences research that can be translated into solutions that benefit people and the environment.
“Sustainability is a colossal challenge for the whole world. Our goal is to support life sciences research and the development of new products and solutions that can improve sustainability in society and contribute to reducing our environmental impact,” says Lars Rebien Sørensen, currently Vice Chairman of the Foundation until 1 July 2018, when he succeeds Sten Scheibye as Chairman.
Another new focus area for the Foundation will be supporting research in the technical and natural sciences in such fields as chemistry, physics and computer technology that play a growing role in developing new solutions.
“We can see that that many scientific breakthroughs are achieved at the interface between scientific disciplines. We believe that supporting interdisciplinary research can create better opportunities for completely new scientific discoveries,” says Lars Rebien Sørensen.
The health sciences have historically been the Foundation’s largest grant area, and this will continue in the years ahead. In addition, the Foundation will increase its focus on education, innovation, treating and preventing diabetes and humanitarian and social causes.
The planned increase in grant payouts in the next 5 years follows considerable increases in support for society in recent years. Ten years ago, the Foundation paid out DKK 181 million in grants annually. In 2017, this had grown to DKK 1.3 billion.
“The Novo Nordisk Foundation has the opportunity to contribute positively to society in the coming years. This is also a great responsibility. Our most important task is to support the best projects of the highest quality, thereby contributing to creating new knowledge, new ideas and new solutions to benefit people and society,” says Birgitte Nauntofte, CEO of the Foundation.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s six grant-awarding areas:
Biomedical and health science research and applications
Enable people to live healthier and better lives by facilitating research that advances knowledge of human health and disease, solves health challenges and develops the healthcare system.
Life science research and industrial applications promoting sustainability
Act for and inspire the development of a more sustainable world by supporting research that translates into life science solutions to benefit people and the environment.
Patient-centred and research-based care
Make Denmark a global leader in delivering patient-centred and research-based care for people with diabetes and facilitate development of patient-centred and research-based care within diabetes comorbidities and other endocrine disorders.
Natural and technical science research and interdisciplinarity
Catalyze natural and technical science research, particularly in fields with potential interdisciplinary application to the life and health sciences and industrial biotechnology.
Education, outreach and innovation
Support general science education and cultivate scientific and technical competencies and engagement, and promote life science ecosystems that translate scientific discoveries into products and solutions and drive growth to benefit people.
Social, humanitarian and development aid
Improve the lives and prospects of vulnerable children and young people through education, developing competencies and other interventions.
Benefiting people and society
– Read INTERVIEWS WITH Sten Scheibye, Lars Rebien Sørensen and Birgitte Nauntofte and learn more about the Foundation’s grant areas
Further information
Christian Mostrup Scheel, Senior Press Officer, phone: +45 3067 4805, [email protected]
