In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation allocates up to DKK 250 million to Statens Serum Institut in connection with establishing a national test centre for SARS-CoV-2. The grant aims to contribute to significantly increasing the number of people in Denmark who can be tested to determine whether they are or have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. The test activities start immediately, and the ambition is to be able to test up to 20,000 people per day. The new national test centre, TestCenter Danmark, is based at Statens Serum Institut and is established in close collaboration between the government; the administrative regions; the national emergency services and hospitals, including Rigshospitalet; the Foundation; and Novo Nordisk A/S. Other companies, including Novozymes A/S, provide equipment. The Foundation also allocates DKK 50 million for emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark to support projects seeking to mitigate the adverse health consequences of the pandemic in Denmark and a further DKK 20 million for humanitarian and development projects to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in vulnerable parts of the world.

In 2020 the Foundation launched the Data Science Initiative, which aims to hand out DKK 410 million through four grants over three years. The purpose of the initiative is to support ambitious research programmes and national infrastructures along with facilitating interdisciplinary.

One of the highlights for the Foundation has been the spin-out of the initiatives LIFE and BioInnovation Institute (BII) as independent foundations. As independent foundations, both LIFE and BII have better prospects of developing their individual potential. For LIFE, this concerns the creation of education initiatives, strengthening children and young people’s interest and competencies within natural science. Similarly, BII’s mission of improving research, innovation and entrepreneurship is further strengthened by its independence.

Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Executive Vice President, Head of R&D and Chief Science Officer, Novo Nordisk A/S, takes over as CEO of the Foundation on 1 March 2021. He replaces Birgitte Nauntofte, CEO since 2009. The Foundation has developed significantly over the past decade. When Birgitte Nauntofte joined in 2009, the Foundation had three employees and awarded annual grants of about DKK 200 million. At the end of 2020, the Foundation had 211 employees and awarded annual grants of about DKK 5.5 billion.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center is a mission-driven center, where leading Danish as well as international researchers work across scientific disciplines and in collaboration with sectors. Focus is on developing solutions for reducing the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere. The ambition is for the Center to become a powerhouse in curbing the global climate crisis.

The Foundation has awarded up to DKK 2.2 billion over a 10-year period for the center, which is established as a partnership between three leading research institutions. ReNEW is focused on creating better insight into disease mechanisms and exploring the potential of stem cells for repairing damaged tissue and cultivating new cells for most human organs. Stem cell medicine can lead to novel treatments for incurable diseases.

With a DKK 200 million grant from the Foundation, PlanBørnefonden will strive to give more young Syrians access to jobs and income opportunities. The ambition of the initiative is to reach up to 48,000 young Syrian refugees and other young people who are affected daily by the conflict in Syria.

In 2022 the Foundation launched its strategy towards 2030. Its three focus areas are health, sustainability and strengthening the Danish life-science ecosystem, and it aims to advance scientific research and knowledge for solving major societal challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that global security within the area of health depends on contributions from both the public and private sectors. The founding partners behind the PAD initiative, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Philanthropy and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, will collaborate with governments, academic institutions and private actors to reduce the financial risks associated with the development of antiviral medicine.

The PAD initiative is intended to catalyse the discovery and early development of antiviral medicine for use under future pandemics. Equal access to medicine is one of the core principles behind the initiative, as the founding partners will seek to ensure that discoveries become available for citizens in low- and middle-income countries.

Land-CRAFT is the second in a series of Pioneer Centers in Denmark initiated by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The research center will explore the interaction between agriculture and nature to get the most out of farmlands. At the same time, Land-CRAFT is focused on reducing the burden on our biodiversity and climate. The Foundation has granted DKK 72.5 million over a 13-year period.

The Foundation has invested DKK 1.5 billion towards the development of the first fully functional quantum computer. The quantum computer will pave the way for the development of new medicines and potentially provide new insights into key environmental issues. Furthermore, the goal of the programme is to develop quantum hardware and algorithms while seeking to create solutions in the life-science area.

With the launch of the Partnership for Education of Health Professionals (PEP), the Novo Nordisk Foundation wishes to contribute to reducing inequity in health by initially targeting the education of health professionals in underserved regions in India and East Africa. The PEP partnership includes health authorities, universities and educational institutions, and together with various local partners, it will support the education of health professionals to improve the prevention and care of non-communicable diseases, particularly cardiometabolic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Cell therapy is a rapidly advancing field that involves transplanting healthy, living cells to restore damaged tissues and organs. These therapies make it possible to treat diseases themselves, not just symptoms, and potentially even to cure chronic or life-threatening diseases. Therefore, the Novo Nordisk Foundation committed DKK 950 million (USD 127m) to the establishment of a world-class development and manufacturing facility to bridge the gap between research and clinical trials.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity (NIVI) aims to develop new or improved vaccines for some of the deadliest respiratory diseases. In partnership with the University of Copenhagen, the Novo Nordisk Foundation has established a state-of-the-art research and vaccine development initiative focused on tuberculosis, influenza, and Group A Streptococcus.