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NNF Sustain Programme Part 2 (For Researchers)

Call opens
12 November 2024
Call closes
28 January 2025 2:00pm (CEST)
Announcement of results
June 2025
Application guidelines

Purpose

The purpose of the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) Sustain Programme is to encourage the scientific use and enrichment of existing data, specifically for cardiometabolic disease (CMD) research, through an exploratory funding mechanism in two parts that supports both the custodians of the databases and the researchers who use the data:

Part 1: Supporting high-quality health databases and their custodians through an open call for database custodians, where the NNF has shortlisted a set of databases by assessing them on eligibility criteria including, but not restricted to, the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Databases do not need to have a focus on CMD-specific indicators but must contain health data which may be used for research related to CMD. Researchers may only apply for research projects using the databases that have been shortlisted.
 A table of the shortlisted databases is enclosed at the bottom of the guidelines.
 For questions regarding the databases, please contact them directly. Links are provided in the table.

Part 2: Supporting high-quality CMD research projects using existing data through an open call for research projects that make use of the databases shortlisted in Part 1 and have a clear indication of relevance to CMD research. Databases will conduct an initial screening of the matched research proposal(s) for data eligibility, to ensure that their data meets the needs of the proposal(s). Research proposals will then be comprehensively assessed by the NNF’s external Committee on Clinical and Translational Medicine. Based on this assessment, grants will be awarded to the successful research applicants and the database custodians of the databases that the researchers will use. In case their proposal is awarded, applicants submitting research proposals in Part 2 acknowledge that the selected database will be supported as part of the funding mechanism.

Note: these guidelines apply to Part 2 (for research projects) of the NNF Sustain Programme. The guidelines from Part 1 (database custodians) can be found here.

Important information

  • This open call is Part 2 of the NNF Sustain Programme. Information about Part 1 can be found here.
  • Research proposals will be screened by the selected database(s) for data eligibility.
  • Please refer to the guidelines for a list of the shortlisted databases.

Areas of support

Part 2 of the NNF Sustain Programme invites proposals from researchers that make use of the shortlisted databases. The research projects must have a clear indication of relevance to CMD research, including but not limited to mechanisms, prevention, prognosis, diagnosis, methodologies, and/or epidemiology.

About the grants

Amount

Total grant capital of up to DKK  50 million is available for grants awarded to data custodians (Part 1) and researchers (Part 2) who apply to the Sustain programme. For database custodians, grants will be commensurate with the number of research proposals submitted and selected for funding (up to DKK 12 million if the maximum of three research proposals are matched with one database).

Location

Danmark

Committee

Komite for Klinisk og Translationel Lægevidenskab

Contact

For grant inquiries
Douglas Oliveira
Scientific Manager
[email protected]
Kristina Rohde Larsen
Grant Manager
[email protected]

Eligibility

  • Principal Investigators (Main Applicant) must be independent researchers, already established, or in the process of establishing their own research group.
  • The research activities and principal investigator must be anchored at a university, hospital or other non-profit research institution in Denmark.
  • The applicant must be guaranteed her/his own salary for the entire applied project period.
  • Students (incl. MSc. and Ph.D.) and Postdocs are not eligible to apply.
  • Applicants who have submitted an application as a database custodian in Part 1 cannot submit an application as a principal investigator for a research proposal relating to their own database in Part 2.

Please refer to the guidelines for the complete list of eligibility criteria.

Application process

After the call deadline, all applications will be screened by the NNF for general eligibility.

All eligible applications will then be sent to the selected database(s) for an initial screening of data use eligibility. This is for the database custodians to ensure that the match between the data and the research proposal is relevant. The role of the data custodians is to confirm that the data is suitable for the research proposals(s) and to flag incompatibilities, if any.

The external Committee on Clinical and Translational Medicine will assess the research proposals. Based on this assessment, grants will be awarded to the researchers and to the database custodians of the databases that the researchers have selected for their projects. Please note that prior to the evaluation by the committee, the data custodians will screen the matched research proposals for eligibility.  

Please read “Information and guidelines for database custodians’ applications” carefully before initiating the application process. The guidelines provide essential information on the call and the application content and process. 

NOTE: Applicants are encouraged to apply early and are welcome to consult us during the application process, so we can provide support in addressing specific concerns of their databases before the deadline.

Funding

A total of up to DKK  50 million is available for Part 1 and Part 2 of the NNF Sustain Programme. Researchers in Part 2 can apply for grants between DKK 1 million and DKK 4 million for projects lasting between one to three years.