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

January 2027

Up to DKK 11 million per grant (5-year projects); typically 1–2 awards per cycle.

Supports 5-year clinical and translational medicine research projects led by established clinical professors at Danish institutions, with direct relevance to patient health.

Forecasted call; eligibility restricted to clinical professors with ongoing clinical duties.

--- ## Description This grant supports outstanding clinically active research leaders at the professor level to conduct ambitious, patient-relevant clinical and translational research in Denmark. Projects must be anchored at a Danish university, hospital, or non-profit research institution and are intended to advance medical research with direct impact on patients and human health. Supported fields include disease mechanisms, treatment methods, epidemiology, diagnostics, public health, intervention studies, register-based research, proof-of-concept studies, pilot projects, clinical trials, and biomedicine. The program is part of the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Research Leader Programme and aims to strengthen Danish clinical research at the highest international level. --- ## Due Dates - January 2027 (anticipated/projected; full application deadline) *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - Up to DKK 11 million per grant, covering a 5-year project period. - Approximately DKK 2.2 million per year can be allocated to project-related expenses. - Typically, up to two Clinical Distinguished Investigator grants are awarded per cycle. - Eligible expenses include salaries for research staff (not the main applicant), operating costs, equipment (max 20% of budget), travel, publication, and (for Danish universities) project supplements. - The grant does not cover the main applicant’s salary, overhead/indirect costs, or substitute salary for clinical or teaching duties. --- ## Eligibility - Applicants must be medical doctors, specialist physicians with a PhD or dr. med. degree. - Must hold a clinical professor position at a Danish university, hospital, or non-profit research institution. Exceptionally, applicants who are professor-qualified but not yet appointed may be considered. - Must maintain clinical responsibilities throughout the 5-year grant (20–50% time in clinic; 50–80% on research). - The project must be led individually by the applicant; co-applicants are not permitted. - Applicants must provide letters of support from both the clinical department and the research-hosting department. - Only one application to the Research Leader Programme is permitted per applicant per year. - Master’s students, PhD students, and postdocs are not eligible. - Employees or board members of the Novo Nordisk Foundation or related companies are ineligible. --- ## Application Process - Applications must be submitted via the NORMA online system ([NORMA portal](https://norma.novonordiskfonden.dk)). - Required documents: - Support letter from the head of the clinical department (confirming continued clinical duties). - Hosting letter from the head of the research department (confirming institutional support and infrastructure). - All materials must be in English and submitted as PDFs where specified. - Only budget entries submitted through the online budget template are considered. - Applicants should carefully review the [guidelines for applicants](https://novonordiskfonden.dk//app/uploads/Guidelines-for-applicants-Clinical-Distinguished-Investigator-2026-1-1.pdf) before starting the application. --- ## Additional Information - The grant is highly competitive and intended for established clinical investigators with a proven track record. - Projects must not overlap with other submissions to the Foundation while under review. - Active grant holders may only apply in the final year of their current grant, with no overlapping periods. - Applications from or involving ineligible individuals (see [rules for eligibility](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/who-we-are/rules-for-eligibility/)) will be rejected. - No feedback is provided for declined applications. --- ## External Links - [Program page and application details](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 for eligibility](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/who-we-are/rules-for-eligibility/) - [Application portal (NORMA)](https://norma.novonordiskfonden.dk) - [Committee on Clinical and Translational Medicine](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/committees/committee-on-clinical-and-translational-medicine/) --- ## Contact Information | Name | Role | Email | Phone | |---------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------| | Ursula Bach | Senior Grant Manager | 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 (main office) | - | info@novonordiskfonden.dk | +45 35 27 66 00 | For technical issues with the application system: norma-support@novo.dk ---

Clinical Distinguished Investigator

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