The Novo Nordisk Foundation supports research-based treatment and prevention of diabetes and other hormonal and metabolic disorders.

Diabetes remains one of the greatest health challenges globally. We have supported treating people with diabetes since 1932, when the Niels Steensen Hospital was established (later renamed Steno Diabetes Center). Here, people with low incomes could receive treatment free of charge. From 1957, the hospital also successfully researched the causes and progression of diabetes in its laboratory.

The overall aim of our grants is to enable people with diabetes to live longer and improve their quality of life, and to ensure that fewer people develop diabetes. Through a research-based approach, the Foundation also wants to contribute to making Denmark a global leader within patient-centred treatment of diabetes.

Our main priority is to advance all aspects of diabetes care across a patient’s lifetime. In recent years, we have awarded grants to establish specialized Steno Diabetes Centers at public hospitals in Denmark’s five administrative regions as well as in Greenland. The ambition for these centres is to be able to offer the world’s best treatment of diabetes and prevention of late complications, and also be a driving force in developing new treatment and prevention methods as well as teaching for the benefit of all persons with diabetes, their next of kin and health professionals across the Danish realm. The Foundation also supports the centres in efforts concerning prevention and treatment of comorbidities of diabetes.

In addition to this, the Foundation wishes to advance research-based knowledge exchange and development, collaboration and network activities in relation to treatment and prevention of diabetes between the Steno Diabetes Centers and relevant research environments. To support this, we have established the grant programmes Steno Collaborative Grants and Steno North American Fellowships as well as the network organization Steno DK.

As part of its patient care activities, The Novo Nordisk Foundation also supports research in Denmark that helps to strengthen the treatment of other endocrine and metabolic disorders, such as osteoporosis, thyroid disorders as well as pituitary, adrenal and genitourinary diseases.