CFPs: Infectious Diseases Catalyst Grant Programme (Denmark)

The aim is to stimulate Danish research, strengthen international collaborations and to initiate innovative research projects with exceptional potential for future direct impact on global challenges.

Thematic Research Areas

• Research projects suitable for funding within the call must:
  • Be in scope of at least one of the three thematic research areas.
  • Be use-inspired i.e., the research project must enhance fundamental knowledge and include considerations of potential application/translation of the knowledge gained towards generating better and needed tools. The scientific rationale, concept, and research direction should be driven by the potential use and/or translation of that knowledge.
  • Have clear aims/goals where it is articulated what outcomes are expected to be catalysed by this project, and the potential future impact of these outcomes (beyond this project).
• Pathogenic Fungi: Research and discoveries are needed to develop new and effective prevention, diagnostic and treatment tools for the growing threat of invasive fungal infections and the rise of antifungal resistance. Areas of research could be (but are not limited to):
  • Target exploration and validation of novel potential therapeutic targets.
  • Biomarker identification for future potential diagnostic tools.
  • Understanding fungal biology or host-pathogen interactions that provide insights into potential vulnerabilities that could be targeted therapeutically or preventatively.
  • Mechanisms of antifungal resistance and improved strategies to mitigate emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains.
  • Enabling tools and technologies such as the establishment of assays, strains, or animal models for improved translational efforts.
• Novel AMR Tools: The current clinical pipeline for combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is inadequate and urgently requires new and innovative solutions. Projects supported under this theme are exploratory projects that investigate rationally designed and novel approaches to prevent, diagnose or treat antimicrobial resistant bacterial infections. Areas of research could be (but are not limited to):
  • Drug discovery, including promising novel treatment modalities such as phages, antibodies, aptamers, cyclopeptides, drug conjugates, targeted protein degradation etc.
  • Novel target exploration and validation.
  • Dual-action or novel combination therapies.
  • Rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tools.
• Harnessing Innate Immunity: Innate immunity provides a rapid, ‘front-line’ defence against respiratory pathogens through the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Although pathogens can evade innate immunity, one strategy is to boost innate defences using immunostimulatory molecules. Areas of research must have applicability to broadly protective responses (i.e. more than one respiratory pathogen), and can focus on:
  • The underlying mechanisms of immune stimulation.
  • Duration and type of protection, including the interplay between central vs tissue specific factors, epigenetic signatures, and metabolic pathways.
  • Identification and characterization of novel therapeutic targets and/or novel immunomodulators.

Funding Information

• A total of DKK 26 million is available for granting in this call.
• The individual grants awarded can have one of two different granting frameworks:
  • For each grant where there is only one applicant based in Denmark, up to DKK 3.5 million can be awarded, with a grant period of up to 3 years.
  • For each grant where there is a Danish main applicant and a co-applicant based abroad, up to DKK 6.5 million can be awarded, with a grant period of up to 3 years. The budget does not have to be split evenly between the main and co-applicant institutions, but if one institution will receive significantly more funding, a clear justification must be provided.

Eligibility Criteria

• The main applicant must be anchored and have their primary employment and research group at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research institution in Denmark.
• The main applicant must be an established investigator with their own line of research.
• The main applicant must be employed at the institution they are applying from and must be guaranteed their own salary for the entire project period.
• It is possible to include one international co-applicant in the project who is anchored and has their primary employment and research group at a university, hospital, or other non-profit research organisation outside of Denmark. If an international co-applicant is included, they must significantly contribute to the scientific advancement of the project and receive a significant part of the funding. Further, it must be clear from the application how the project collaboration is ensured, and the work and budget is distributed.
• Collaboration with for-profit research partners (biotech, industry etc.) is possible, but funding cannot be awarded to for-profit research partner(s), unless they act as subcontractors (e.g., consultants, service providers, vendors, etc.).

For more information, visit Novo Nordisk Foundation.