For the first time, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is awarding grants to two new programmes that support research infrastructure: The Equipment Upgrade Programme and The Exploratory Research Instrumentation Programme. Combined with the existing Large Equipment and Facilities, they aim to strengthen the research infrastructure in Denmark. In 2024, almost DKK 160 million has been awarded to a total of 15 new projects.
Denmark is known for its world-class research environments, which create scientific advances for the benefit of people and society. Access to advanced research infrastructure is essential for these advances.
This year, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded 15 new grants through three funding programmes including two new programmes, which contribute to the development, establishment, or upgrade of advanced research infrastructure at Danish research institutions.
The programmes include Large Equipment and Facilities, as well as the two new programmes Equipment Upgrade and the Exploratory Research Instrumentation. The programmes span a large range of research topics within the Foundation’s strategic areas, from basic scientific and technical research to health sciences and the technologies facilitating the green transition.
The grants cover a wide field, such as the establishment of a launch programme for stratospheric balloons to measure climate data, the digitisation of the unique Danish Medical Birth Register, equipment to manufacture and test quantum computer elements as well as the extension of a successful GPU computer infrastructure.
Exploratory Research Instrumentation Programme
This new programme supports the development of instrumentation and methods from idea to prototype. It promotes innovative projects that can lead to radically new research tools and technologies that contribute to future research discoveries.
This year, DKK 17.4 million has been awarded to four projects ranging from DKK 2 to 7 million over a period of two to four years. The programme bridges the gap between basic research and innovation as well as train the next generation of developers.
This year’s recipients:
- Jan Ardenkjær-Larsen, Volumetric mapping of brain dynamics by hyperpolarized MR, Technical University of Denmark – DKK 6,977,618.
- Mads Toudal Frandsen, HABTEC – A High altitude and stratospheric balloon instrumentation and launch programme for transformative environmental and climate research, University of Southern Denmark – DKK 2,761,000.
- Taro Kitazawa, Genomics Toolbox for Tracing Neuronal Fate and Disease Progression, Aarhus University – DKK 2,582,604.
- Anders Kristensen, 4DMAPPER – 4D mapping of transport and metabolism in organ on a chip, Technical University of Denmark – DKK 5,079,435.
Research Infrastructure Programme
This programme continuous to support the establishment of new or significant upgrades of existing research infrastructures at Danish research institutions.
This year, DKK 133.6 million has been awarded to eight projects within a wide range of research areas. In general, the duration of the grant is now six years as compared to five years previously, to facilitate anchoring in the user environment and create increased value of the investment, including ensuring financially sustainable operation.
This year’s recipients:
- Jennifer Baker, The Historical Medical Birth Register – a nationwide research infrastructure, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospitals – DKK 19,360,139.
- Jan Gorodkin, BioGLUE: Unified Danish ELIXIR Infrastructure for Seamless Data and Tool Interoperability, University of Copenhagen – DKK 14,700,000.
- Jonas Heilskov Graversen, Monoclonal Antibody Center Denmark (MADE) – a Danish Center for antibody development and characterization to promote translational antibody research, University of Southern Denmark – DKK 17,489,901.
- Christine Schøtt Hvidberg, ICE-SUSTAIN – ICE cores for SUSTAINability, University of Copenhagen – DKK 15,478,799.
- Jakob Nilsson, Optical pooled genetic screening facility, Danish Cancer Society – DKK 14,494,652.
- Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe, Photonic quantum test and fabrication infrastructure, Technical University of Denmark – DKK 24,990,000.
- Jim Rasmussen, Next level ecosystem interactomics facility [MS-SIP interactomics], Aarhus University – DKK 18,881,210.
- Bartlomiej Wilkowski, Enhancing the Danish Biobank Register (DBR) for Biomedical Research Advancement, Statens Serum Institut – DKK 8,240,000.
Equipment Upgrade Programme
Since 2019, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has supported the establishment of advanced research infrastructure at Danish universities and research institutions through the Large Equipment and Facilities programme, and the first grants are expiring. Throughout the grant period, most infrastructures have established a strong and often interdisciplinary user community. To extend the life of successful infrastructure, an upgrade may be necessary to keep up with technological developments and thereby meet the researchers’ need for access to modern equipment.
This year, three of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s existing research infrastructure grants have been extended by four years. Each project will receive DKK 3.0 million to upgrade and continue these successful research infrastructures.
This year’s recipients:
- Jonathan Brewer, SDU Bioimaging Core Facility Upgrade, University of Southern Denmark – DKK 2,961,840.
- Birgit Schiøtt, ROBUST – upgrade of GPU-facility for biomolecular simulations, Aarhus University – DKK 2,999,119.
- Tobias Weidner, Infrastructure Upgrade: Nanosurface Scattering Sum Frequency Spectrometer – NanoScat, Aarhus University – DKK 2.999.234.
About the Novo Nordisk Foundation
Established in Denmark in 1924, the Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of society and the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society.
https://novonordiskfonden.dk/da/
Further information
Jakob Stein, Communications Specialist, [email protected]
Ulla Gro Nielsen, Scientific Director, [email protected]
