The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Prize for Interdisciplinary Science Teachers at Universities is aimed at committed and talented educators who are full-time permanent employees at the associate professor or higher level, or on a tenure-track at the assistant professor level, and who teach interdisciplinary subjects i.e. combining Natural, Technical or Health Science topics in interdisciplinary educational programs in the Danish Realm. 

The purpose of the prize is to recognize and highlight a team of educators (two or three teachers) who have collectively made an outstanding effort to educate and qualify the country’s interdisciplinary students at universities and have set an example which inspires at international level. 

Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Prize for Interdisciplinary Science Teachers at Universities is awarded annually. The prize consists of a sum of DKK 1,500,000, including a personal honorarium of DKK 25,000 for each educator, with the remainder going to the university as an educational funding grant. The portion allocated to the university must be used by the team for the development of interdisciplinary science teaching (e.g., purchase of experimental equipment, upgrading of teaching facilities, development projects, inspiration trips to other universities, etc.). 

The prize is awarded to teams of two or three educators upon nomination by the prorector (or prodean on behalf of the prorector) for education. Students and colleagues are encouraged to propose candidates to the prodean/prorector, who can then nominate via the link provided in the application info. Only one team of educators can be nominated to the Prize for Interdisciplinary Science Teachers from the same university, and previously nominated teams that did not receive the prize will be automatically nominated for the following year (one time renomination) unless the teachers are not hired at university anymore.  

The Committee on The Novo Nordisk Foundation Teaching Prizes selects the successful nominee for the Prize. 

The prizes are presented at the recipient’s university celebration or the annual teaching symposium at the University. The announcement of the prize will also be published in SCIENCE magazine, together with a two-pages long advertorial where NNF’s motivation for awarding and the winners’ description of their achievements and ambitions regarding teaching that led to the award will be described. 

See other Prizes awarded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.