Introducing Two New Prestigious Awards

DASO-NNF Awards Honoring Excellence in Obesity Science

We are pleased to announce that the Danish Association for the Study of Obesity (DASO) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF) will be awarding two new prizes to acknowledge excellent and innovative scientific contributions from obesity researchers based in Denmark – the “Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research” and the “Novo Nordisk Foundation Early Career Obesity Research Award”. The overall aim of the prizes is to reward and inspire excellent Danish researchers within obesity science and thereby to strengthen the focus on obesity research in Denmark.

The Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research

 

 

 

The Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research is awarded to recognize a mid-career researcher who has made an outstanding contribution to obesity research in Denmark. The prize is accompanied by DKK 1,000,000 of which DKK 900,000 is for new research, and DKK 100,000 is a personal award.

The prize winner is selected based on the following eligibility and assessment criteria:

    • The Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research will be awarded to an excellent researcher of international acclaim to recognize an outstanding contribution to research within one or several of the following areas: epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, consequences, prevention, or management of obesity in Denmark.
    • The prize is aimed at established, mid-career research leaders who are actively advancing their academic careers.
    • The contributions of the prize winner must be internationally acknowledged and published in international peer-reviewed journals.

The prize will be awarded based on nominations from DASO members and assessment by an international committee. Please note that if a researcher is nominated more than once, only one nomination will be assessed (chosen at random), and self-nominations will not be considered

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Early Career Obesity Research Award

 

 

 

The NNF Early Career Obesity Award is awarded to support a talented researcher in the beginning of their academic career. The award is accompanied by DKK 500,000 for new research activities within a two-year period.

The award winner is selected based on the following eligibility and assessment criteria:

    • The NNF Early Career Obesity Research Award will be awarded to a researcher who is committed to obesity research within one or several of the following areas: epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, complications, prevention, or management and who aims to undertake innovative new research in Denmark.
    • This award is aimed at a researcher in the beginning phase of their academic career, who has obtained their PhD-degree within the past seven years or their master’s degree within the past ten years (taking documented leave into account).
    • The recipient’s host institution must be willing to host the grant for the following two years.

Eligibility criteria applied for both prizes

For both the Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research and the NNF Early Career Obesity Research Award, the following criteria apply:

    • Employees with a minimum of 75% employment at Danish universities, hospitals, or other non-profit research institutions are eligible recipients.
    • Individuals employed at the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Holdings A/S, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novonesis A/S or other companies in which the Novo Nordisk Foundation has a controlling interest are not eligible for these prizes.
    • Individuals who have won other Novo Nordisk Foundation prizes or awards during the previous year are not eligible for these prizes.
    • Both the Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research and the NNF Early Career Obesity Research Award must be awarded in accordance with the Foundation’s Grant Eligibility Rules.
    • Neither the Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research, nor the NNF Early Career Obesity Research Award may be awarded to board members of the DASO or to their family members.

Nomination and application process

Submissions of nominations and applications open on 17 March 2025.

Nominations for the Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research should address the following:

    • Motivation for nomination including a description of the nominee’s main research achievements.
    • Description of how the nominee’s research made an impact on the international obesity field.
    • Description of the nominee’s previous research, including whether the research has generated clinical, societal, and/or public health impact and/or influenced policy.
    • Description of the research plan which the nominee will address with the grant.
    • Description of whether and how the nominee will involve patients or citizens in the development and/or dissemination of their research.
    • Description of the nominee’s mentorship and/or leadership activities in the field of obesity science.
    • Description of the research and employment history including how much research the nominee has conducted in Denmark.

Please complete the nomination using the following template: link

Please enclose a Curriculum Vitae (CV) (max. 3 pages) and a publication list of the most relevant publications within obesity science (max. 2 pages including H-index (Web of Science and/or Scopus) and journal impact factors).

Applications for the NNF Early Career Obesity Research Award should address the following:

    • Motivation for the application, including a description of the candidate’s main research achievements.
    • Description of the research plan which the applicant will address with the grant.
    • Description of whether and how the applicant will involve patients or citizens in the development and/or dissemination of their research.
    • Description of how this research might generate clinical, societal, and/or public health impact and/or influence policy.
    • Description of the research and employment history including how much research the applicant has conducted in Denmark.

Please complete your application using the following template: link

Please enclose a CV (max. 2 pages including information about education, employment history, grants, oral presentations at national/international level and awards/prizes) and a publication list highlighting your top five publications within obesity science as a first or last author (max. 2 pages).

Nominations and applications must be prepared using the specified templates and sent to daso.nnf@dsaf.dk. This should be in a single PDF file merged with the CV and publication list.

The deadline for nominations and applications is 20 May 2025.

Assessment

Nominations will be evaluated by an assessment committee established by DASO and consisting of five independent, international non-Danish reviewers at Professor level. Selection of the winners will be made exclusively by the independent assessment committee. There must be no conflicts of interest between the reviewers and the nominees or applicants.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation has no influence over award selection apart from assessment of conflict of interest or on meeting agendas.

Evaluation criteria of awards

Flemming Quaade Prize for Outstanding Obesity Research

The nominations will be rated based on the following seven attributes utilizing a 6-point scale (1 = Poor; 6 = Exceptional).

Scientific impact and originality:  

    • The nominee’s work should demonstrate groundbreaking or novel discoveries that advance the understanding of obesity.
    • Preference will be given to research that has fundamentally shifted knowledge and/or influenced obesity science.

International reach and influence:

    • The nominee’s research should have achieved recognition within the international obesity field, reflected by citations, invited talks, or adoption of findings across diverse contexts.

Contributions to clinical practice, societal impact, public health or influence on policy:

    • The nominee’s research should have direct or potential applications in improving clinical practice, society, public health, or policies.

Research quality and methodological rigor in the proposed project:

    • The nominee’s contributions should be grounded in strong scientific methodology and exhibit excellence in research design, implementation, and relevance to obesity science.

Involvement of patients or citizens in the proposed project:

    • The nominee should involve patients or citizens in the development and/or dissemination of the proposed project as appropriate for the topic.

Mentorship and leadership in obesity science:

    • The nominee should provide evidence of mentorship, collaboration, or leadership in the field, such as guiding emerging researchers, leading interdisciplinary teams, or actively participating in scientific advisory groups or boards.
    • The nominee’s contributions to building the scientific community or fostering the next generation of obesity scientists will be evaluated.

Contributions to obesity science in Denmark:

    • A considerable amount of the nominee’s work should have been conducted in Denmark, using Danish data or with affiliation(s) to Danish research institutions.

NNF Early Career Obesity Research Award

The applications will be rated based on the eight attributes utilizing a 6-point scale (1 = Poor; 6 = Exceptional).

Scientific impact and originality: 

    • The applicant’s work should demonstrate commitment to obesity science, significant contributions or novel discoveries that have advanced the understanding of obesity.

Research quality and methodological rigor of the proposed project:

    • The proposed project should be grounded in strong scientific methodology and exhibit excellence in research design, implementation, and relevance to obesity science.

Involvement of patients or citizens in the proposed project:

    • The applicant should involve patients or citizens in the development and/or dissemination of the proposed project, as appropriate for the topic.

Contributions to clinical practice, societal impact, public health, or influence on policy of the proposed project:

    • The proposed research should have direct or potential applications in improving clinical practice, society, public health, or policies.

Research related activities and responsibilities:

    • The applicant should provide evidence of engagement in research related activities and responsibilities such as student supervision, teaching, leading research groups, or actively participating in scientific advisory groups, boards, or steering committees.

Contributions to obesity science in Denmark:

    • A considerable amount of the applicant’s work should have been conducted in Denmark, using Danish data or with affiliation to Danish research institutions.

Presentations and awards:

    • The applicant’s research should have achieved recognition within the national or international scientific community, reflected by oral presentation(s) at national or international meeting(s), invited talk(s) or national or international award(s) or prize(s).

Publication impact:

    • The applicant should provide evidence of significant contributions as first and/or last author within obesity research reflected by the number of publications and the journal impact factor.

 

Prize and Award details

The prize and award winners will be presented at DASO’s Annual Meeting (November 14, 2025) in Nyborg, where the winners are expected to participate and give short lectures.

Furthermore, the winners will be invited to present the research output of their awards at DASO’s Annual Meeting two years after receiving the awards.

Any questions can be forwarded to the DASO board at daso.nnf@dsaf.dk.

About Flemming Quaade

Flemming Quaade (1923-2007) was a Danish physician esteemed for his groundbreaking work in obesity research. He made significant strides in unraveling the complex factors associated with obesity and its treatment. His work included in-depth studies on weight management strategies, such as bariatric surgery and pharmacological interventions, which highlighted their effectiveness, especially for individuals unable to achieve sufficient results through lifestyle changes alone. He also developed a slimming agent designed to deliver essential nutrients with minimal caloric intake, further advancing obesity treatment. His research has had a lasting impact on both scientific knowledge and clinical practices in obesity management.