Applicants may now apply for grants for projects that both develop the mathematical competencies of children and young people and integrate mathematics into natural science or technology. The Novo Nordisk Foundation has just opened this autumn’s application round by allocating DKK 45 million.
Mathematics is everywhere in nature, and our mathematical understanding is essential to us as consumers, decision-makers and co-creators in the technology of the future. Wind turbine designers, robot builders and genetic engineers use the language of mathematics to build models. Like many others, they work with natural science, coding and big data, and their mathematical competencies must be developed starting in childcare centres and schools.
With the thematic grants for mathematics in science and technology, the Foundation wants to support projects that involve mathematics to train the science modelling skills of children and young people.
Mathematics must continue after class hours
In this round, applicants may apply for grants for projects that apply mathematics and strengthen the connection between mathematics and natural science.
“In subjects such as physics, biology and chemistry, students examine the world through experiments, and by using mathematics they can analyse patterns in their measurements and sum up the results in a formula. With these project grants, we want the use of mathematics in teaching to support the science competencies of children and young people – and vice versa,” says Berith Bjørnholm, Senior Programme Manager and Head of Grants, Education & Outreach, Novo Nordisk Foundation.
“The projects will also help to ease young people’s transition from primary and lower-secondary school to upper-secondary school and from upper-secondary school to university, because students in upper-secondary school and in university natural science programmes need to be able to apply mathematics,” adds Berith Bjørnholm.
From childcare centres to upper-secondary schools
Projects on mathematics related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) may target childcare centres, primary and lower-secondary schools or upper-secondary schools. For example, applicants may apply for grants for developing and implementing methods, materials and resources for teaching or for development projects improving the competencies of teachers and early-childhood educators. Applicants may also apply for grants for projects that provide learning and experiences with mathematics and nature to children and young people after school hours.
The grants range from DKK 100,000 to DKK 6 million for projects that last up to 6 years. The deadline for applications is 10 September 2019 at 2 PM.
The autumn application round in education and outreach includes the two thematic calls of project grants for mathematics in science and technology and project grants for communication and debate on science and technology and the recurring call of project grants for natural science education and outreach, which opens for applications on 3 September 2019.
The two themes in this year’s thematic application rounds originated from recommendations from several experts and actors in science education and with inspiration from the Foundation’s previous application rounds in natural science education and outreach.
Read more about the new call for applications, criteria for eligibility and the application process here.
Further information
Christian Mostrup Scheel, Senior Press Officer, phone: +45 3067 4805, [email protected]
