Purpose and areas of support
The purpose of the Inter-SUSTAIN call is to advance science by stimulating high-quality international databases to make their data attractive, accessible and usable for the research community, specifically for research within cardiometabolic diseases (CMD), regenerative medicine, and infectious diseases. This will be achieved through a dual funding mechanism, whereby both database custodians and researchers utilising the data will receive funding. The call aims at strengthening the databases’ infrastructure and foster researcher collaborations with users external to the database. Any new data generated by the research will be added to the database, enhancing its content and attractiveness.
Given its dual funding mechanism of supporting both databases and researchers, the call will be implemented in two parts:
Part 1: High-quality databases will be screened and shortlisted by the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF). Databases do not need to focus on CMD, infectious disease, and regenerative medicine but must contain data which may be used for research within these themes. No funding will be granted in Part 1, but in Part 2 shortlisted databases may be selected by a researcher for her/his research project and thus receive funding.
Part 2: By means of an open competition call, high-quality research projects that focus on CMD, infectious disease and regenerative medicine and make use of existing data from one of shortlisted databases will submit their research proposal and be evaluated and selected for funding by the Committee on Clinical and Translational Medicine. Databases selected by the awarded researchers will also receive funding. As part of the application process, researchers must consult the database custodian of the selected database to ensure that their research proposal is feasible to execute their projects
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- The database custodians must fill out and submit this electronic form.
Please note that the application form must be completed and submitted in one session. Unfortunately, you are not able to save a draft. You can download this Word version for reference in advance of completing your application through the online form. The template cannot be used as your application. - In addition, database custodians must submit an application in Norma (detailed in the guidelines).
- Applicants must use this budget template.
NOTE: Databases do not need to have a specific focus in CMD, regenerative medicine, and infectious diseases but must contain data useful for those related research.
Criteria for databases to be shortlisted for the Inter-SUSTAIN call are as follows:
- The applicant (database custodian) must be employed at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research institution in Denmark, the Nordics (Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden), or the United Kingdom. The applicant’s hosting institution will receive and administer the grant.
- The data and infrastructure support applied for must be anchored at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research institution in Denmark, the Nordics (Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden), or the United Kingdom.
- The database must contain data which may be used for research related to CMD, regenerative medicine, and infectious diseases, but does not need to have a specific focus on these areas.
- Database custodians or researchers already funded by the NNF Sustain programme are not eligible.
- Applicants may submit only one application as a database custodian.
- Applicants who have submitted an application as a database custodian in this Part 1 of the call cannot submit an application as researcher in Part 2 to use their own database.
- The database must adhere to specific requirements for the application of the FAIR and, when applicable, the CARE principles. A questionnaire is provided in the online application form, so the applicant can self-assess.
Please refer to the guidelines for more details.
Application process
Applicants are encouraged to apply early and are welcome to consult the NNF during the application process for support in addressing specific concerns of their databases before the deadline.
Part 1: Database custodians
Call opens for database custodians:
11 July 2025
Call closes for database custodians:
18 September 2025
Notification to shortlisted databases:
October 2025
Part 2: Research applicants
Call opens for research applicants:
Q4 2025
Data compliance check:
Q4 2025-Q1 2026
Call closes for research applicants:
Q1 2026
Assessment of paired research proposals and databases by external committee:
Q1 2026
Notification of granting (Part 1 and Part 2):
Q2/Q3 2026
