In English

Prevention Lab supports innovative prevention methods to prevent cancer and promote cancer patient’s health.

Background for Prevention Lab

The incidence of cancer is rising, and with a growing population, resources for health care services are under increasing pressure. 

Prevention is a crucial part of the solution, which is why the Danish Cancer Society has established Prevention Lab in 2024.  

Prevention Lab supports projects providing new insights on how to translate knowledge about health behaviors and cancer risk factors into improved health. This is achieved through concrete practice-based experiments followed by research.

Prevention Lab aims to integrate various disciplines. Social sciences, technology, anthropology, marketing, and psychology could be disciplines contributing to new insights and methods in addition to traditional health research.

Which projects are considered?

Projects that can be considered must:        

Align with one or more themes of the Danish Cancer Society's prevention policy (Kræftens Bekæmpelses forebyggelsespolitik (PDF))
Utilize new and innovative methods and approaches 
Have potential impact on citizens' health 
Have anchoring potential in a Danish context    
Be practice-based research projects   
Be of short project duration (1-2 years, with a maximum of 3 years)

Apply for a grant

Funding distribution from Prevention Lab is conducted through an annual open call. The deadline for application is October 1st 2025. Applications can be submitted via our digital application system from June 1st 2025.

Apply here

The guidelines for application 2025 are not public yet. Please see guidelines for application 2024 here:

Application Guidelines 2024 (PDF)

Assessment Committee for Prevention Lab

As part of the initiative, the Danish Cancer Society has appointed an external and independent assessment committee. The committee will assess the quality of the incoming applications in relation to the realization of Prevention Lab’s goals.

The committee includes researchers, practitioners, and representatives of the public/patient perspective, and encompasses knowledge in:

Health behavior and structural frameworks for health behavior
Bridging health research and practice
Public health and health inequality
Personalized prevention/Artificial intelligence/Technology
Register research/Biomarkers
Implementation research
Innovation

Meet the assessment committee

Chair

Tine Curtis, Adjunct Professor, Aalborg University and University of Southern Denmark, Head of Health Promotion on the Centre for Childhood Health.

Members

Katrina Feilberg, Director for Life Science and Health, Danish Chamber of Commerce.
Lene Tanggaard, Professor, Head of Kolding School of Design, Member of The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy.
Torben Frøstrup, Chief Physician, PhD, Dr. Med, Professor, Department of Oncology, Sygehus Lillebælt.
Janne Tolstrup, Professor, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark. Member of Council for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.
Julie Dupont. Patient, member of Ung Kræft. Former nurse.
Ulla Toft, Professor, University of Copenhagen, Head of department, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen.
Vedran Sekara, Associate Professor, IT-University in Copenhagen, Machine Learning Lead at UNICEF.
Niels Kvorning, PhD, Post Doc Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Director og co-founder in Melatech.

Tine Curtis, chair of the committee:

- There is a need to focus more on prevention in Denmark, and there is a need to find new pathways doing so. I am therefore excited to support new and innovative prevention methods, and to collaborate with a very competent and varied assessment committee.

Tine Curtis is appointed as chair for the assessment committee. Tine brings her extended experience in combining research and practice within health promotion and prevention, and her strong capacity for novelty, partnerships and holistic interventions, into the assessment committee.

More about Prevention Lab

With funds from ‘Knæk Cancer 2023’ campaign, the Danish Cancer Society has allocated DKK 25 million for the period 2024-2027 to the Prevention Lab initiative. This initiative supports the development of new, innovative prevention methods.   

Prevention Lab is anchored within the Danish Cancer Society, which is home to Denmark’s largest knowledge center for cancer prevention. Here, specialists work every day to help the population reduce their risk of developing cancer.   

This work is based on evidence for the main risk factors for cancer and analyses of the population's health behavior. Additionally, we promote and encourage healthier lifestyles through information, partnerships and counselling.