Regenerative Medicine Catalyst Grants 2025

Purpose

The purpose of the Regenerative Medicine Catalyst Grants programme is to provide catalytic funding for translational research projects within the identified thematic research areas (described below), aligned with Novo Nordisk Foundation strategic areas. The proposed programme focuses on catalysing solutions to current challenges in the regenerative medicine (RM) field, thereby advancing the field, strengthening the Nordic RM ecosystem, promoting international collaboration, and lowering time- and cost-barriers to RM therapies.

A webinar covering all relevant information will be held on 04 July2025. The webinar will be recorded and a link will be posted on this website afterwards.

Thematic Research Areas

Research projects suitable for funding within the call must:

• Be in scope of at least one of the four thematic research areas outlined below
• Have a translational and applied focus, aiming to progress discovery phase regenerative medicine projects towards clinical development
• Lead to the development of new protocols or methods that can advance the (broader) regenerative medicine field
• Have clearly articulated aims or goals with respect to the outcomes that are expected to be catalysed by this project and the potential long-term impact of these outcomes (beyond the project itself)

1.  Challenges in autologous and allogeneic cell therapy

Autologous and allogeneic therapies represent the two main cell therapy paradigms. Autologous cell therapy involves extraction, manipulation, and re-introduction of a patient’s own cells, while allogeneic cell therapy involves using cells from a donor. Within this theme, funding will be allocated to projects that seek to advance the development of autologous or allogeneic cell therapy by tackling their unique challenges or those common to both approaches.

Areas of research could be (but are not limited to):

Autologous cell therapy

• Solutions for optimised culturing processes to ensure consistent quality of product and reduce batch variation
• Solutions for shortening the time between cell extraction and re-introduction into the patient (including shortening reprogramming, expansion, and differentiation times in the case of induced pluripotent stem cell-based autologous products)

Allogeneic cell therapy

• Addressing challenges related to immunogenicity and patient immune rejection of donor cell-based therapies, including the development of immuno-evasive/hypo-immune cells

Common to both autologous and allogeneic cell therapy

• Development of robust and cost-effective processes for cell manipulation and manufacturing

2.  Applications of stem cell-based disease modelling

Human stem cell-based disease modelling is a unique tool to increase understanding of disease mechanisms and development. Accurate recapitulation of human cell types and tissues in vitro is a crucial step in the development of cell therapies, and these disease models can furthermore serve as a crucial platform for testing the efficacy and safety of drugs and treatments before clinical application. Within this theme, funding will be allocated to projects that focus on using already developed stem cell-based disease models as tools in translational research or that progress from disease model development towards preclinical testing.

Areas of research could be (but are not limited to):

• Utilising human stem cell-based disease models as tools to test new therapeutics, especially within functionality, potency, and efficacy
• Advancing from disease model development into preclinical testing of cell therapies in vivo

3.  Engineering biomaterials for regenerative medicine therapy

Although the principal component of cell therapy is the cellular product itself, optimal culturing conditions, complex cell organisation, and efficient cell therapy delivery often require the use of specialised biological or synthetic scaffolds and specialised devices. Importantly, these scaffolds must be designed to be compliant with health authority regulation. Within this theme, funding will be allocated to projects that seek to engineer such innovative scaffolds, biomaterials, and devices.

Areas of research could be (but are not limited to):

• Engineering of scaffolds and biomaterials to support
  • cell culture and disease modelling
  • delivery of cell therapies
  • controlled tissue regeneration and cell growth in vivo aiming for human use
• Advancing technologies such as bioprinting to allow generation of complex organoids and tissues
• Development of novel devices for cell transplantation or delivery

4.  Transition of cell therapies from academia to clinical development

Transitioning a cell therapy research candidate into clinical trials is currently associated with significant challenges from a manufacturability point-of-view, which is reflected in the highly exploratory nature of the cell therapy field. Collectively, these challenges constitute a substantial risk in the ability to reach human testing and ultimately the patients in need. Efficient translation using scalable technologies and advanced analytics, mindful of health authority expectations and cost effectiveness, will be key to enable further progression of the cell therapy field into clinical development.

Areas of research could be (but are not limited to):

• Development of scalable closed culture systems as an enabler of cell therapy protocol development
• Optimising culture systems for increased target yield and purity
• Establishment of robust processes for (cryo)preservation of cell therapies and intermediates
• Development of analytical methods and technologies for cell therapy and characterisation, especially within functional and potency evaluation

Themes considered out of scope

Projects focussed on immune cell-based therapy, such as CAR T- and NK-cell therapy, as well as projects with a focus on gene therapy, will not be prioritised.

Eligibility

• The main applicant must be anchored and have their primary employment and research group at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research institution in a Nordic country (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland).
• The main applicant must be an established investigator with their own line of research.
• It is possible to apply for a ‘collaborative project’ which includes at least one international co-applicant who is anchored and has their primary employment and research group at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research organisation outside of the country of the main applicant. If an international co-applicant is included, they must significantly contribute to the scientific advancement of the project and receive a significant part of the funding (to be detailed in the application). Further, it must be clear from the application how the project collaboration is ensured, and the work and budget are distributed. Co-applicants from a different Nordic country than the main applicant are considered international collaborators.
• Projects that only involve international co-applicants from within the same research centre as the main applicant are not eligible as collaborative projects.
• The main applicant and, if included, the co-applicant must be employed at the institution they are applying from and must be guaranteed their own salaries for the entire project period.
• Collaboration with for-profit research partners (biotech, industry etc.) is possible, but funding cannot be awarded to for-profit research partner(s), unless they act as sub-contractors (e.g., consultants, service providers, vendors, etc.).

Applying for this call will not affect your eligibility to apply for other Novo Nordisk Foundation calls and vice versa (e.g., Project Grants in Bioscience and Basic Biomedicine or Clinical and Translational Medicine). However, you cannot apply to other Novo Nordisk Foundation calls with a project that is overlapping in scope while the assessment of your application to this call is ongoing.

Funding

The total grant budget is DKK 100 million, which can be awarded over up to three years (2026-2028), meaning that this call will recur in 2026 and potentially in 2027.

The individual grants awarded can have one of two different granting frameworks:

1. Standard projects:
   1. One main applicant based in a Nordic country (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland)
   2. Co-applicants (optional) from the same Nordic country as the main applicant
   3. Up to DKK 5 million can be awarded, with a grant period of up to three years
2. Collaborative projects:
   1. One main applicant based in a Nordic country (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland)
   2. At least one international co-applicant based in a country different from that of the main applicant (including another Nordic country)
   3. Up to DKK 10 million can be awarded, with a grant period of up to three years
   4. The budget does not have to be split evenly between the main and co-applicant institutions but if one institution will receive significantly more funding, a clear justification must be provided

Application process 

The application process is divided into two phases.

Phase I:

Applicants submit a brief concept note which is evaluated and triaged internally in the Novo Nordisk Foundation (including employees from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Cellerator and the BioInnovation Institute). Selected applications will be invited to phase II. The Foundation will not provide feedback in case an application is declined in phase I.

Phase II:

Applicants submit a full application which will be evaluated by external peer review.

The peer review will be conducted by international experts within the four thematic research areas, and the anonymous peer review feedback will, in writing, be shared with the applicants post granting decision, regardless of the outcome of that decision. The peer review is meant as valuable feedback regarding the projects. It will not be possible to submit objections to the funding decision nor the peer review.

Please read “Guidelines for Applicants” carefully before initiating the application process. Additional and essential information is found in these guidelines