PURPOSE
The purpose of the NERD programme is to support creative, daring, and ambitious researchers within the natural and technical sciences, at any career stage after obtaining the PhD degree. The grant is aimed at supporting a single principle investigator (PI) with ample funding and a long time horizon, providing the required long-term stability and continuity to explore truly exceptional ideas with potential application within the life sciences, health sciences or biotechnology.
The NERD programme uses a two-stage evaluation procedure. At the first stage, applicants will remain anonymous to the evaluation committee, ensuring that emphasis is put on the suggested scientific ideas. The top evaluated applications will proceed to the second stage, where the CVs and publication lists of the applicants will be included to assess the feasibility of the proposed projects.
To ensure that the PI will dedicate time and effort to the proposed research, during the year of commencing the NERD project, the applicant cannot have a grant portfolio as PI exceeding an annual total of DKK 4.0 million (including possible overhead). Grants where the applicant is co-PI are not included in this total.
ELIGIBILITY
Researchers at any career stage after obtaining the PhD degree are eligible to apply. This includes for example independent researchers who have already established their own line of research, and researchers who are in the process of establishing themselves as independent researchers. Applications from PhD students will not be taken into consideration.
AREAS OF SUPPORT
The overall goal of the NERD programme is to support fundamental research within the natural and technical sciences, including, e.g., physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, and technical sciences. Projects focused on areas covered by other calls from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, or which fall outside the current scope of the Foundation, are not eligible for the NERD programme.
The application must describe how the outcome of the project may have potential future applications in the life sciences, health sciences, or biotechnology.
FUNDING
The expected awarding budget for the 2022 call is DKK 126 million.
The timeframe of a NERD project is up to 7 years, with a total grant size of up to DKK 10.5 million (pro rata for shorter projects). If the activities are primarily of an experimental nature, an additional DKK 3.5 million can be requested, for a total of up to DKK 14 million (pro rata for shorter projects). Projects with a duration of less than 5 years will not be taken into consideration.
