CHALLENGE PROGRAMME 2027 – Advancing Next Generation AMR Diagnostics for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Novo Nordisk Foundation funds interdisciplinary research to develop rapid, innovative diagnostics for antimicrobial-resistant lower respiratory tract infections through the CHALLENGE PROGRAMME 2027.
Funder: Novo Nordisk Foundation
Due Dates: October 7, 2026 (Stage 1: Expression of Interest) | February 10, 2027 (Stage 2: Full Proposal)
Funding Amounts: DKK 30–75 million (approx. EUR 4–10 million) per grant; project duration up to 6 years; total call budget DKK 150 million (approx. EUR 20 million).
Summary: Funds interdisciplinary research consortia to develop rapid, minimally invasive diagnostics for antimicrobial-resistant lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs).
Key Information: Requires consortium with at least one Danish research group; main applicant must be a tenured/tenure-track research leader at a European institution.
Description
This programme supports transformative, proof-of-concept research to enable the development of rapid, minimally invasive, and affordable diagnostic technologies for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), especially those complicated by antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The goal is to foster interdisciplinary consortia—spanning microbiology, clinical medicine, physics, computer science, and related life sciences—that will deliver innovative diagnostic solutions deployable worldwide, including in low-resource settings. Projects should focus on technological advances in sample collection and processing, discovery of novel biomarkers, and enhancing predictive capabilities for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The initiative aims to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of LRTI detection and management.
