CHALLENGE PROGRAMME 2027 – Advancing Next Generation AMR Diagnostics for Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Funds interdisciplinary research to develop rapid, affordable, and minimally invasive diagnostics for lower respiratory tract infections, with a strong focus on antimicrobial resistance.
Funder: Novo Nordisk Foundation
Due Dates: October 7, 2026 (Stage 1: Expression of Interest) | February 10, 2027 (Stage 2: Full Application)
Funding Amounts: DKK 30–75 million (~EUR 4–10 million) per grant | 6 years | Total call budget DKK 150 million (~EUR 20 million)
Summary: Funds interdisciplinary research to develop rapid, minimally invasive, and affordable diagnostics for lower respiratory tract infections with a focus on antimicrobial resistance.
Key Information: Requires a European research leader and at least one Danish group in the consortium; for-profit product development is not eligible.
Description
This program aims to catalyze innovative, proof-of-concept research for next-generation diagnostics of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), with a strong emphasis on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Supported projects should deliver rapid, minimally invasive, and affordable diagnostic solutions suitable for global point-of-care use, especially in low-resource settings. The call encourages interdisciplinary collaboration among microbiologists, clinicians, physicists, computer scientists, and other relevant life-science experts. Projects must focus on technological advancements in sample collection/processing, biomarker discovery, improved pathogen differentiation, and enhanced predictive capabilities for antimicrobial susceptibility. The ultimate goal is to produce transformative diagnostic technologies that dramatically improve speed, accuracy, and accessibility over current methods.
