Molecular Mechanisms Linking Obesity and Cancer (MMLOC)

Purpose

Molecular Mechanisms Linking Obesity and Cancer (MMLOC) grants support collaborative research projects with the purpose ‘to reverse-translate clinical observations into mechanistic studies that will increase our understanding of how obesity impacts carcinogenesis’.  

Additional funding is provided to one of the grantees, who will lead a synergistic and mission-driven network of the funded project teams (referred to as the ‘MMLOC Research Consortium’). Together, the Research Consortium will aim to uncover the causative links between obesity and carcinogenesis, thereby leading to ‘better prevention and management of obesity-related cancers’.  

Eligibility

• The application must describe a clearly defined research project, with an appropriate budget, that is clearly within the defined areas of support.
• The main applicant must be an independent scientist employed at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research institution in Denmark. 
• Only applications where one basic and one clinical researcher establish a collaboration can be considered for funding. A clinical researcher is defined as a person with clinical responsibilities doing patient-centred research. The clinical researcher must be active in the clinic, i.e. not be employed in a full-time research position.
• The main applicant can be either the basic researcher or the clinical researcher.
• The co-applicant can be from a Danish or other European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom (UK) or Swiss non-profit research institution.
• Both the main applicant and co-applicant must be employed at the respective institution they are applying from.
• The main applicant and co-applicant must be equally participating and must each receive a substantial part of the grant budget. 
• The project must be of four years duration. 

Areas of support 

Collaborative research projects 
One basic scientist and one clinical scientist must apply together for funding of a fundamental biomedical research project that translates clinical observations, linking obesity to the development of cancer, into experimental studies that will uncover the molecular mechanisms behind this causative relationship. The experimental studies will test hypotheses generated from clinical observation and will typically be carried out in in vitro or in vivo model systems and may include computational modelling. Proposed research projects may integrate existing clinical data, but the funding cannot cover new clinical studies. Importantly, all cancer types are within scope for this call, and obesity is here broadly defined and may thematically cover research from adipocytes to the systemic and endocrine effects of obesity. 

Research Consortium
A MMLOC Research Consortium will be established by selection and funding of individual research projects that are 1) scientifically excellent and 2) complementary to each other (in relation to scientific approach, model systems, methodology and/or other metrics) and act in synergy to fulfil the mission. While individual projects will carry out their research independently as described in their application, it is a requirement to enter the Consortium and actively support and participate in its activities. Specifically, Consortium activities allow individual research teams to interact over the course of four years to share knowledge and build bridges between scientific fields and advance knowledge of the molecular mechanisms linking obesity and cancer. Examples of network activities include (but is not limited to) joint workshops, symposia, study trips and dissemination activities such as joint publications.  

Research Consortium network activities
Additional funding for organising joint Consortium activities will be awarded in relation to one of the research projects, and it is a requirement that each applicant describe in their application how they would organise and host these activities. The details of the activities may be developed in collaboration within the Consortium over time, and the NNF will host a kick-off event (expected in Q2 of 2026) to support the establishment of the MMLOC Research Consortium.  

Funding 

A total of up to DKK 50 million is available for grants. 

Grants between DKK 8 and 12 million can be awarded for a collaborative research project for a 4-year period (2026-2029).  

One of the funded research projects will be awarded an additional DKK 2 million to organise the MMLOC Consortium network activities. 

Application process 

The application must be completed and submitted using the foundation’s electronic application system, using the link “Send application”. Link is found at the top of the page and will be visible when the call opens. 

It is very important, that the applicant carefully reads the application guidelines before initiating the application process. This document contains the complete call as well as detailed instructions for the application process.