Professor Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen, Associate Professor Magnus Kjærgaard, and Professor Gregers Rom Andersen have been teaching together at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics for many years. However, receiving the Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize in recognition of their work comes as a bit of a surprise to them.

"It’s quite overwhelming, but of course, we are very pleased with the recognition that comes with receiving the award. Sometimes you hear the story that researchers would rather avoid teaching. I hope this prize can encourage more people to think about teaching development and apply for funding for new initiatives in education," says Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize for Natural Science Teachers at Universities is awarded to dedicated and talented educators who teach natural science subjects at a university within the Danish Realm. The purpose of the prize is to recognize and highlight educators who, together, have made an outstanding effort in educating and qualifying university students in natural sciences and have created a model that inspires at an international level.

In 2021-22, Magnus Kjærgaard and Ditlev Brodersen carried out a project funded by EDU-IT grants, where they involved former students in course development to enhance students’ digital competencies. The project was a great success and resulted in a publication in the international journal The Biophysicist, where researchers and former students together quantified the project's results.

Since then, the three educators have worked on integrating digital competencies into teaching in the department’s new Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine program, which will launch in the summer of 2025.

It is primarily their work in promoting digital competencies in teaching that has earned them the Novo Nordisk Foundation Prize.

"We wouldn’t have been able to carry out this development project without EDU-IT funding from AU. I think it’s great that financial support is provided for the development of innovative teaching within academic environments. And the fact that it leads to improved teaching and an award like this shows that it pays off and yields concrete results," says Ditlev Brodersen.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation’s teaching prize is awarded annually and amounts to DKK 1,500,000, of which each educator receives a personal honorarium of DKK 25,000, while the remainder is allocated to the university as an educational grant. The portion of the prize awarded to the university must be used by the team to develop natural science teaching.

"We really want these funds to benefit not just our own courses but the entire department. Therefore, we have decided to use the funds to broadly support teaching and, with biochemistry education as a starting point, promote digital competencies across the new Molecular Biology and Molecular Medicine program," concludes Ditlev Egeskov Brodersen.

The prize will be awarded at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics’ annual meeting on May 23, 2025.