EFSD and Novo Nordisk A/S Programme for Diabetes Research in Europe

The European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) was created by the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) to provide funding initiatives in all areas of diabetes research. The aims of EFSD are to encourage and support research in the field of diabetes, to rapidly diffuse acquired knowledge and to facilitate its application.

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. The purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon the heritage in diabetes. They do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to the medicines and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 61,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries.

The Programme is supported by Novo Nordisk through a donation.

The EFSD/Novo Nordisk Programme for Diabetes Research in Europe will accept applications from all fields of diabetes research including both basic and clinical research.

Funding Information

• Research will be supported through the award of grants generally up to Euro 100,000 for basic and/or clinical research projects. The definition of clinical research is a study performed in vivo in human individuals with focus on clinically relevant and diabetes-related topics.
• Projects requiring higher funding than that specified above are also invited to apply to this Programme, i.e. applications may be submitted to complement funding for a larger project.
• All projects need to provide comprehensive justification of their budget and a clear description of both, the requested amount from EFSD as well as the avialable funding for the project from other sources, if applicable.
• In exceptional cases, applications for funding in an amount larger than Euro 100,000 and up to Euro 250,000 may be considered for funding. Here the additional relevant financial requirements need to be clearly justified and applicants should also indicate which part of the study will be feasible in the case of a Euro 100,000 award.
• The duration of each award may be one year or longer, depending upon the needs of the project and as justified in the application.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applications for an EFSD/Novo Nordisk grant are invited from single non-profit institutions or groups of such institutions from Europe and associated countries. The Principal Investigator and any Co-Investigators must be employed at a non-profit institution in Europe or associated countries and the study must be performed at their place of work.

Review Consideration

• Completed applications will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria stated below for scientific/technical merit by an appropriate scientific committee.
• Review criteria are as follows:
  • Significance: Does the study address an important problem?  If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced?  What will be the effect of the proposed studies on human disease understanding and on the concepts or methods that drive this field?
  • Innovation: Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or methods?  Are the aims original and innovative?  Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies?
  • Approach: Are the conceptual framework, design, methods and analyses adequately developed, well integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project?  Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics?
  • Investigator: Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work?  Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers, if any?
  • Environment: Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success?  Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements?  Is there evidence of institutional support?
  • Budget: Is the requested budget appropriate for the proposed study? Is the requested duration suitable for completion of the project?
  • Contribution towards a larger research project: Is the work described in the application intended as part of a larger project? If so, is there any overlap? Is there a clear explanation how the new work will contribute towards the overall success of that larger project? Can financial feasibility be assessed (was a clear description given of the total costs of the whole project, the funding from other sources and the amount and purpose of the requested EFSD funding)?

For more information, visit EFSD.