Leading global healthcare company Novo Nordisk has deepened its partnership with the University of Oxford by announcing £18.5 million of funding for a further 20 Postdoctoral Fellows in this prestigious scientific research programme, over the next nine years. This expanded collaboration also introduces an innovative ‘Springboard Fellowship’, which offers selected fellows an extra two years of funding to further advance their research and professional development.

The flagship Novo Nordisk – Oxford Fellowship Programme supports research fellows to undertake pioneering early-stage scientific research in diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, rare blood and other cardiometabolic diseases, with the goal to ultimately bring benefit to patients. The programme supports the development of a new generation of talented international leaders in these fields. Every year, Novo Nordisk funds four Postdoctoral Fellows for a three-year period, hosted at the University of Oxford, providing them with the resources and mentorship needed to advance their research and careers.

The Programme, coordinated by the Radcliffe Department of Medicine since 2013, has funded 44 fellows across 10 University departments. Past fellows have gone on to pursue successful careers closely aligned with the Programme’s objectives in academia, industry, and the third sector in the UK and overseas.

Some reflections from past fellows reveal the value of the Programme for kickstarting their careers: ‘The ability to work with an industrial partner to devise a project was an amazing opportunity that you rarely get as a young scientist’, and ‘I valued getting a taste of industrial culture while being completely part of academia’.

New from this year is the ‘Springboard Fellowship’, which will fund one fellow per cohort for a further two years, allowing them to complete a particularly impactful aspect of their research and/or build collaborations to bolster their career development. During this two-year period, the successful applicant will benefit from enhanced mentorship and tailored professional development activities.

Professor Keith Channon, Chair of the Joint Steering Committee overseeing the Fellowship Programme, said: ‘We are delighted that Novo Nordisk is continuing to invest in this outstanding programme with the University of Oxford over the next nine years. This programme provides a unique opportunity for fellows to work with both University and Novo Nordisk researchers, enabling us to address key mechanistic questions in the field, that may lead to new medicines. These fellowships will play a critical role in fostering the next generation of research leaders in the areas of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, rare blood and other cardiometabolic diseases.’

Professor Marcus Schindler, Executive Vice President of Research & Early Development and Chief Scientific Officer of Novo Nordisk, stated: ‘We are thrilled to extend our longstanding partnership with the University of Oxford. The Novo Nordisk – Oxford Fellowship Programme remains dedicated to nurturing and empowering the next generation of early-stage scientific research in diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic diseases. Over the years, our partnership model has fostered mutual growth and knowledge generation in areas of high unmet medical need. This continued collaboration underscores our commitment to pioneering innovations that will ultimately enhance future patient care worldwide.’

Applications for the Autumn 2025 intake of fellows will open in Spring 2025 and will be announced on the Programme website, along with the available research projects.