PURPOSE

The concept requires full-time attendance of all participants in both scientific and networking sessions during a 3½-day stay in a retreat-like setting, secluding participants from outside interruptions. More information about the Copenhagen Bioscience Conferences can be found if you click here. You can also watch the video with Kim Bak Jensen, chair of the scientific organizing committee for the ‘Intestinal organoids’ conference held in September 2019. Click here to see the video.

This is a call for applications to co-organise a CBC in close collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Successful applicants will become part of the organising committee that is responsible for the scientific programme, invitation of the speakers, promotion of the conference in their scientific networks, and selection of the participants. The Novo Nordisk Foundation will manage organisational, logistical and financial matters with regards to the conference. Please find a template for the programme here: CBC Program template.

The conference dates are fixed for 13-17 November 2022. Depending on the number of qualified applications, an additional grant might also be awarded for organising a conference in 2023. The conference concept is pre-defined, and the venue is Favrholm Campus, north of Copenhagen. The budget for the conference is pre-granted and will be managed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The conference will host approximately 160-200 participants, including selected participants, invited speakers, editors and organisers. Research themes with the potential to gather researchers from different fields and/or research themes focusing on a pressing need, are encouraged.

ELIGIBILITY

The main applicant must be employed as a senior scientist, associate professor or professor, and be either a recipient or part of one of the Novo Nordisk Foundation research grants of at least 9 million DKK, be employed by one of the NNF Research Centers (NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, NNF Center for Biosustainability, NNF Center for Protein Research, NNF Center for Stem Cell Biology) or a Steno Diabetes Center.

It is required to have five to eight co-applicants to complete the application. They will together with the main applicant constitute the organising committee if the application is granted. It is recommended that co-applicants know each other well to be able to share the workload. They can be based in Denmark or abroad. All applicants commit to being active and engaged participants in the organising committee, which includes:

– Participating in a start-up meeting with the full committee one year before the conference date.
– Drafting a full scientific programme in collaboration with the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
– Inviting speakers to the conference.
– Actively promoting the conference and encourage abstract submission in their scientific networks.
– Reviewing and scoring abstracts received through the NNF online application platform.
– Participating in a full day evaluation meeting at the NNF to select participants and short talks from the submitted abstracts.
– Being present at a 1-hour kick-off meeting a few hours before the official start of the conference.
– Being present and actively engaged during the entire conference.

Please contact Laila Schultz (lsc@novo.dk) or Johan Jansen (jja@novo.dk) at the Novo Nordisk Foundation for any further information, questions regarding eligibility or the concept of the Copenhagen Bioscience Conferences.

RESEARCH FIELDS

Conference topics are welcome within the various scientific topic areas otherwise funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, i.e.

1. Biomedical and health science research and applications
2. Life science research and industrial applications promoting sustainability
3. Natural and technical science research and interdisciplinarity
4. Patient-centred and research-based care

We welcome proposals on strategically important topics including, but not limited to, obesity, antimicrobial resistance, infectious diseases and pandemic preparedness.

For more information on what the Novo Nordisk Foundation supports, please visit our website or read our strategy 2019-2023.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application form can be downloaded at the following webpage: Application form

The application form must be completed by 1 October 2021 and sent to Johan Jansen (jja@novo.dk) and Laila Schultz (lsc@novo.dk), who will send you a confirmation when received.

Please note that The Novo Nordisk Foundation does not provide feedback if your application is not selected for funding.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applications will be evaluated based on:

– Strategic relevance of the scientific topic to the Novo Nordisk Foundation strategy,
– Scientific excellence of the proposed programme
– Balanced composition of the speaker list in terms of scientific field, gender, career level, and geographic spread.
– Balanced composition of the organising committee in terms of scientific field, gender and career level.
– Scientific and organisational experience of the main applicant and co-applicants

IMPORTANT DATES

Application deadline: 1 October 2021
Evaluation of applications: October 2021
Applicant notification: End of October 2021
Start-up meeting planning: November 2021