Purpose

The Novo Nordisk Foundation wishes to make significant contributions to the sustainability of society and the environment. The Emerging Investigator grants support upcoming and highly promising research leaders within Industrial Biotechnology and Environmental Biotechnology in the Nordic countries. The intention of the grant is to enable excellent scientists to establish their own research group or to further strengthen their recently started group.

The proposed research should address major challenges within industrial biotechnology or environmental biotechnology. The research should be fundamental in character but have a strategic outlook to scaling potential(s), contribute to sustainability and, if relevant, increase productivity.

The proposed research must involve a clear element of biotechnology^*, and the research projects should preferably include one or more of the following topics:

• Use or engineering of biological/biotechnological tools, systems or microorganisms for synthesis and production of valuable products (e.g. energy, fuels, chemicals, proteins, and materials)
• Development of technologies and processes for bioproduction
• Improvement of the efficiency and/or sustainability of biomanufacturing
• Use or engineering of biological/biotechnological tools, systems, or microorganisms to protect or improve the environment
• Understanding, protection, or manipulation of natural or industrial ecosystems in relation to application of biotechnology
• Data science to advance research within industrial or environmental biotechnology, including related ecosystems research

Please note that proposals focusing on plant science, agriculture and food biotechnology should be submitted to the Novo Nordisk Foundation Committee on Plant Science, Agriculture and Food Biotechnology, while proposals with a focus on pharmaceuticals and therapeutics should be submitted to the Novo Nordisk Foundation Committee on Bioscience and Basic Biomedicine.

^*For the biotechnology requirement, the OECD short definition of biotechnology will be used as a reference for assessments. The OECD single definition of biotechnology is “the application of science and technology to living organisms, as well as parts, products and models thereof, to alter living or non-living materials for the production of knowledge, goods and services.”