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

May 20, 2026

Up to DKK 19.4 million per grant over 4 years; total call budget DKK 97 million

Supports high-impact interdisciplinary research collaborations in health or sustainability, requiring robust preliminary data and spanning Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, or Natural and Technical Sciences.

--- ## Description The Interdisciplinary Synergy Programme is designed to address major scientific challenges in health and sustainability by fostering collaborative, high-risk/high-gain research across disciplines, organizations, and countries. Projects must be grounded in robust preliminary data and demonstrate a clear need for interdisciplinary synergy, with the aim of producing novel scientific advances. The program specifically targets research aligned with the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s strategic focus areas: Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, and Natural and Technical Sciences, with relevance to health or sustainability. Social Sciences and Humanities may be included as components, but cannot be the primary focus. The scheme encourages internationalization and the training of the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers. --- ## Due Dates - Full application deadline: May 20, 2026 --- ## Funding Amount - Maximum funding per grant: up to DKK 19.4 million (approx. €2.6 million) over 4 years - Total call budget: DKK 97 million - Grants are intended to support project costs, salaries (excluding main/co-applicants’ own salary), research staff, consumables, equipment, travel, workshops, and administrative expenses (with specific restrictions for Danish universities and other institutions). - No funding for commercial activities, overhead/indirect costs, or duplicate project funding. --- ## Eligibility - The main applicant must be at least 50% affiliated (tenured or tenure-track) with a Danish university, hospital, or other non-profit research institution, which will serve as the host institution. - Consortium must include 2–4 research groups (main applicant plus 1–3 co-applicants) from different disciplines and/or institutions. Co-applicants can be based in Denmark or internationally. - All co-applicants must contribute scientifically and receive part of the funding. - Projects must be interdisciplinary, combining distinct scientific or technical disciplines. - Projects must be based on robust preliminary data. - Research must fall within Biomedical Sciences, Biotechnology, or Natural and Technical Sciences and be relevant to health or sustainability. - Social Sciences/Humanities may be included but not as the primary research focus. - Industrial partners can collaborate but cannot receive direct funding. - Applicants may only submit one application as main applicant per year and may participate in up to two proposals total (across the Synergy and Exploratory Synergy Programmes). - Main applicants may only hold one active Interdisciplinary or Exploratory Synergy Programme grant at a time. - No overlap in project scope or funding with existing grants. --- ## Application Process - Applications must be submitted via the NORMA online system ([NORMA portal](https://norma.novonordiskfonden.dk/s_Login.jsp)). - The process is a single-stage full application. - Required materials include: - Project description (max 30,000 characters) - Brief lay summary - CVs and publication lists for all applicants - Budget and budget justification - Hosting letter from the Danish host institution, confirming affiliation and salary coverage - Supplementary information on related or overlapping proposals - All documents and application content must be in English. - Only the main applicant can submit the final application. - Applications are screened for eligibility, then reviewed by the Committee on Interdisciplinary Research. Up to 10 proposals are selected for international peer review. - Applicants will be notified of outcomes by end of December 2026. - Earliest project start date: February 1, 2027; latest: December 31, 2027. --- ## Additional Information - Projects must be at fundamental research stage (Technology Readiness Levels 1–2). - Funding cannot be used for the main/co-applicants’ own salary, indirect costs, or commercial activities. - No feedback is provided for unsuccessful applications after review. - All applications and appendices must be submitted in PDF format. - For detailed requirements, see the [Application Guidelines (PDF)](https://novonordiskfonden.dk//app/uploads/Information-and-Guidelines-for-Interdisciplinary-Synergy-Programme-2026-2.pdf). --- ## External Links - [Programme webpage](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/grant/interdisciplinary-synergy-programme-2026/) - [Application Guidelines (PDF)](https://novonordiskfonden.dk//app/uploads/Information-and-Guidelines-for-Interdisciplinary-Synergy-Programme-2026-2.pdf) - [NORMA Application Portal](https://norma.novonordiskfonden.dk/s_Login.jsp) - [General Terms and Conditions](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/conditions-for-grants/) - [Managing a Grant](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/how-we-work/what-are-grants/managing-a-grant/) - [FAQ and Grant Policies](https://novonordiskfonden.dk/en/how-we-work/what-are-grants/faq/) --- ## Contact Information | Name | Role | Email | |---------------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------| | Kamilla Nørregaard | Senior Scientific Manager | [knr@novo.dk](mailto:knr@novo.dk) | | Camilla Banke Birk | Grant Specialist | [cbk@novo.dk](mailto:cbk@novo.dk) | | General Inquiries | - | [info@novonordiskfonden.dk](mailto:info@novonordiskfonden.dk) | Phone: +45-4444-8888 [Full contact details](https://www.novonordisk.com/contact-us.html)

Interdisciplinary Synergy Programme 2026

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