Funder: Novo Nordisk Foundation
Due Dates: January 25, 2027, 2:00 p.m. CET (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to DKK 5–10 million over four years, depending on faculty level
Summary: Supports Danish research institutions in recruiting researchers and establishing their independent research groups.
Key Information: Only the person with appointment authority at the recruiting institution may submit the application.
Description
The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Start Package Grants help Danish universities and research institutions compete for excellent researchers. They provide leverage during recruitment and contract negotiations and support the recruited researcher’s establishment of an independent research group. The programme encourages mobility across borders, between Danish institutions, and from industry to academia.
Supported fields include medical sciences, life sciences, sustainability, and natural and technical sciences aligned with the Foundation’s 2030 Strategy. Priorities include cardiometabolic disease and healthy life span, drug-resistant and respiratory infections, stem cell-based medicine for chronic diseases, nutritious food with minimal environmental impact, sustainable biomanufacturing, and quantum technologies for health and planetary health. Fundamental and interdisciplinary research and technology development are supported where they have potential applications within these themes.
