Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize for Science Teachers – Denmark

Deadline: 16-Nov-2026

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize recognizes exceptional teachers who educate and qualify future primary school science teachers through teacher education programs at university colleges in the Danish Commonwealth. The award provides a total of DKK 550,000, including a personal honorary prize of DKK 50,000 for the recipient and DKK 500,000 for their university college to strengthen science education through experimental equipment, excursions, facility and inventory improvements, or educational development projects. The prize also supports professional development by covering the recipient’s participation and accommodation at the Big Bang conference in March 2027. The award is intended for teachers working within the science subject block at university colleges in the Danish Commonwealth, including Nature/Technology, Physics/Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and Mathematics. In addition to recognizing significant contributions in these subjects, the prize considers efforts to educate and motivate future science teachers, develop and share inspiring science didactical methods, encourage collaboration across subjects or educational levels, and create a stimulating science environment for students and colleagues. Teacher students and colleagues can propose candidates, but formal nominations must be submitted through the nominee’s head of education, dean, or rector, and the nominated teacher must provide consent. The Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize celebrates teachers who make exceptional contributions to science teacher education within the Danish Commonwealth. The award focuses on teachers in university college teacher education programs who help prepare future primary school science teachers.

Its broader objectives include:

The award has a total value of DKK 550,000.

The prize is divided into:

The university college funding must be used to develop science education. The DKK 500,000 allocated to the university college can support activities that strengthen science education.

Examples include:

The institutional funding is therefore intended to create benefits beyond the individual prize recipient by strengthening the science education environment at the university college. The prize also includes participation and accommodation for the recipient at the Big Bang conference in March 2027. This provides an opportunity for the award recipient to participate in a professional science education environment and engage with developments and practices relevant to science teaching. The prize targets teachers working in teacher education programs at university colleges within the Danish Commonwealth.

Candidates should:

The eligible science subjects include:

The main criterion is a significant contribution within one or more of the eligible science teaching subjects. Additional consideration may be given to teachers who: Not every criterion needs to be fulfilled for a nominated teacher to be considered. Teacher students and colleagues are encouraged to propose candidates for the prize. However, the formal nomination must be submitted through an appropriate senior representative of the nominee’s university college. The nomination must be submitted through the nominee’s: The nominated teacher must also consent to the nomination. Yes. Multiple candidates may be nominated from the same university college. This means that a university college can put forward more than one teacher for consideration when several individuals have made significant contributions to science teacher education. Yes. Teachers who were nominated previously but did not receive the prize may be re-nominated. A previous unsuccessful nomination therefore does not prevent a candidate from being considered again. The award supports science education at both the individual and institutional levels. For teachers, it provides recognition for exceptional contributions to preparing future science educators. For university colleges, the DKK 500,000 institutional allocation can provide resources for: For future primary school teachers, the program aims to strengthen the quality and inspiration of their science education. Applicants and nominators should keep the following points in mind: A nomination should clearly demonstrate the teacher’s contribution to science teacher education.

Useful points to highlight include:

The nomination should focus on concrete contributions and explain why the teacher’s work is significant within science education.

Nominators should avoid:

It is an annual award recognizing exceptional teachers in teacher education programs who contribute to educating and qualifying future primary school science teachers within the Danish Commonwealth. The total prize is DKK 550,000, consisting of DKK 50,000 for the recipient and DKK 500,000 for their university college. The funds must be used for science education development, including experimental equipment, excursions, facility and inventory improvements, or development projects. Eligible subjects include Nature/Technology, Physics/Chemistry, Biology, Geography, and Mathematics. Teacher students and colleagues are encouraged to propose candidates. The formal nomination must be submitted through the nominee’s head of education, dean, or rector at their university college. Yes. The nominated teacher must consent to their nomination. Yes. Previously nominated candidates who did not receive the prize may be re-nominated. No. Not all of the additional criteria need to be met for a nominated teacher to be considered. The Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize provides DKK 550,000 to recognize exceptional contributions to science teacher education within university colleges in the Danish Commonwealth. By combining a personal honorary prize with substantial funding for science education development at the recipient’s university college, the award supports both individual recognition and improvements in the educational environment for future primary school science teachers. For mor