CHALLENGE PROGRAMME 2027 – Heat and Hypertension – understanding the mechanisms of interaction
Funds interdisciplinary research consortia to study how heat exposure affects hypertension, aiming to uncover mechanisms and improve clinical management for hypertensive patients facing extreme heat.
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: 6 years | Total theme budget: DKK 150 million (approx. EUR 20 million)
Summary: Supports interdisciplinary consortia to investigate mechanisms linking heat exposure and hypertension, aiming to improve clinical management and patient outcomes.
Key Information: Consortium must include at least one Danish research group; main applicant must be based at a European institution.
Description
This programme funds ambitious, collaborative research to unravel how heat exposure interacts with hypertension, targeting improved understanding and management of health risks as climate change increases the frequency of extreme heat events. Projects should be interdisciplinary, spanning mechanistic research at the cellular, animal, and human levels, and must demonstrate clear translational potential. The aim is to support research that can lead to innovative clinical strategies and reduce complications and mortality for hypertensive patients during heat exposure.
Research topics may include:
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying heat exposure and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.
- Organ/system crosstalk during thermoregulation in hypertension.
- Effects of antihypertensive medications on heat tolerance and morbidity.
- Biomarker and clinical risk profiling in hypertensive patients exposed to heat.
- Tailored management strategies for hypertensive patients during extreme heat.
Projects limited to a single discipline or purely in-vitro/observational approaches are out of scope.
