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Novo Nordisk Foundation

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is not only the largest foundation in Denmark. It is also one of the largest private foundations internationally. With an annual grant sum of more than DKK 5 billion, it has the financial muscles to support a wealth of initiatives, including basic research.

In the strategy towards 2030, the foundation operates with 3 focus areas: Health, Sustainability and Life Science Ecosystem. That is, the well-being of the individual (by supporting research in causes for diseases and their cures), the planet (by supporting initiatives preserving the environment) and biomedical innovation (by supporting establishment, growth, and development of Life Science companies).

The foundation is closely tied to the pharmaceutical company Novo, the world's largest producer of insulin and a market-leading company in the ongoing battle against diabetes and obesity. Traditionally, the foundation has funded several initiatives in the biomedical area but it also supporting research in other more areas of natural and technical sciences, such as chemistry, physics, etc.

The foundation has a myriad of calls, from the support of small research projects over interdisciplinary synergy adventures to the large Challenge calls financing research collaborations amongst leading scientists. Furthermore, the foundation has a range of calls fostering the recruitment of excellent scientists to Denmark. In addition, the foundation supports the establishment of exceedingly large centers through strategic donations rather than through open calls.

The foundation is segregated into a range of departments, each supporting unique parts of the foundation's focus areas:

  • Medical Science - supports basic bioscience, biomedical and clinical research initiatives
  • Natural & Technical Sciences - supports research in classic natural science disciplines such as physics, chemistry and mathematics.
  • Infectious diseases - supports initiatives understanding and combating infectious diseases.
  • Biotechnology - supports projects aiming at developing a more sustainable agriculture and food production.
  • Innovation - supports the Life Science Ecosystem.
  • Education & Outreach - supports projects that brings science to the general public.

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