[Novo Nordisk Foundation](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/)

January 2027

Up to DKK 11 million per grant over 5 years; typically 2 grants awarded per cycle.

Supports 5-year clinical and translational research projects in Denmark led by established clinician-researchers to advance patient-focused medical research.

Applicants must be clinical professors or equivalent and maintain clinical responsibilities during the grant period.

--- ## Description This grant supports established clinical research leaders in Denmark to undertake ambitious 5-year research projects in clinical and translational medicine. The aim is to advance research with direct relevance to patients and human health, spanning areas such as disease mechanisms, treatment methods, disease trajectories, epidemiology, diagnostics, public health, family medicine, intervention studies, register-based research, proof-of-concept studies, pilot projects, initial clinical trials, clinical testing, and biomedicine. Projects must be anchored at a Danish university, hospital, or non-profit research institution, and applicants are expected to maintain a significant clinical commitment throughout the grant period. --- ## Due Dates - **Full application deadline (anticipated/projected):** January 2027 *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - **Grant size:** Up to DKK 11 million per grant (for 5 years) - **Number of awards:** Up to 2 grants per cycle - **Budget guidance:** Up to DKK 2.2 million per year for direct project costs; equipment costs may not exceed 20% of the total budget; travel and publication costs are capped annually. - **Eligible costs:** Research and technical staff salaries, PhD tuition, operating expenses, equipment (with limits), travel, publication, and project supplements (for Danish universities). - **Not covered:** Applicant's own salary, substitute salary for clinical/teaching duties, overhead/indirect costs, commercial activities, double funding. --- ## Eligibility - **Applicant requirements:** - Must be a clinically active medical doctor (MD), specialist physician, and hold a PhD or dr. med. degree. - Must be a clinical professor or, in rare cases, professor-qualified but not yet in post. - Must maintain clinical responsibilities throughout the grant (20–50% clinical, 50–80% research). - Must have institutional support from both the clinical department and the research host department (support and hosting letters required). - Only one application per applicant to the Research Leader Programme per year; multiple submissions are administratively rejected. - No co-applicants permitted; collaborations must be described but the applicant is the sole project leader. - Not open to Master’s students, PhD students, or postdocs. - Applicants with an active Investigator grant from Novo Nordisk Foundation may only apply in the final year of the current grant (no overlap). --- ## Application Process - **Submission:** Applications must be submitted via the [NORMA electronic system](https://norma.novonordiskfonden.dk/). - **Materials required:** - Project description (detailed research plan, background, methods, collaborations, significance) - Budget (entered via NORMA) - Support letter from the clinical department head - Hosting letter from the research department head - All documents in English and uploaded as PDFs where specified - **No feedback is provided for declined applications.** - **Assessment:** Applications are reviewed by the Committee on Clinical and Translational Medicine, focusing on scientific quality, impact, approach, environment, collaboration, and investigator track record. --- ## Additional Information - **Language:** Applications and all materials must be in English. - **Restrictions:** No funding for the applicant’s own salary, substitute salary, overhead, or commercial activities. No double funding or overlapping applications. - **Project supplement:** For Danish universities only, a fixed supplement applies for research staff. - **Bench fee:** Not applicable for Danish universities; can be included for other institutions within specified limits. - **Grant management:** See [managing a grant](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/how-we-work/what-are-grants/managing-a-grant/) for post-award requirements. --- ## External Links - [Program page and application portal](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/grant/clinical-distinguished-investigator/) - [Guidelines for applicants (PDF)](https://novonordiskfonden.dk//app/uploads/Guidelines-for-applicants-Clinical-Distinguished-Investigator-2026-1-1.pdf) - [Rules, grant administration, and FAQ](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/how-we-work/what-are-grants/) - [Committee on Clinical and Translational Medicine](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/committees/committee-on-clinical-and-translational-medicine/) - [NORMA Help Centre](https://norma.zendesk.com/hc/en-us) --- ## Contact Information | Name | Role | Email | Phone | |------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|------------------| | Ursula Bach | Senior Grant Manager, Grant Management | urba@novo.dk | +45 35 27 66 00 | | Jens Peter Holst Lauritsen | Scientific Manager, Clinical Medicine | jlrt@novo.dk | +45 35 27 66 00 | | Novo Nordisk Foundation (general) | Grants Office | info@novonordiskfonden.dk | +45 44 44 88 88 | ---

Clinical Distinguished Investigator

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