The Energy Center has created a list of research funding opportunities for projects related to energy. Additional details can be found below. Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like any additional assistance in identifying opportunities.
In addition, the Research Office (ReO) supports EPFL researchers in funding acquisition and project management. They have compiled compendiums of a wide range of research opportunities for individual and collaborative grants. They are an excellent resource and starting point for identifying new funding opportunities and assisting in grant writing.
| Description | Budget (indicative) | Deadlines | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) Research and Development | Applied intradisciplinary research – details here | ~18 Mio/year (~100 new projects per year with 1-3 year duration) | Ongoing evaluation- contact the head of the research program according to this list before application submission |
| SFOE Pilot and Demonstration (P+D) | Testing technical and economic feasibility with P+D projects – details here | ~28 Mio/year (~40 new projects per year with 2-5 year duration) | Proposals may be submitted at any time |
| SFOE SWEET | Portfolio of interrelated projects for transdisciplinary research on specific themes- details here | ~11 Mio/year (~1-2 new consortia per year with 6-8 year program duration) | Call-specific, next call will be announced in early 2024 |
| Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) Special Financing for Aviation | Projects that limit the effect of air traffic on the environment – details here | ~10 Mio/year for environmental projects | November 30th (new program will be announced shortly) |
| Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) Environmental technology promotion | Supports development of technologies, installations, processes and products that can reduce environmental pollution – details here | ~ 4 Mio/year | Evaluations of projects take place on average twice per year, it is recommended to contact the FOEN Innovation Section before submitting an application |
| Innosuisse | Supports projects to promote science-based innovation in the interest of the economy and society in Switzerland- details here | Typically ~20 Mio/year for energy projects out of a total budget of ~145 Mio | Funding instrument specific- more details in the Innosuisse Guide |
| Horizon Europe | EU initiative for transnational collaboration – Switzerland is currently not an associated country but participation is possible under some restrictions– details here | State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation will directly pay for projects assessed as eligible by the European commission | See specific calls for deadline |
| Clean Energy Transition Partnerships (CETP) | EU initiative for transnational collaboration- specific annual calls on energy topics- Swiss researchers CAN coordinate – details here | ~10 Mio/year, funded through SFOE P+D program | One call per year. Pre-proposals due Nov 22, 2023 |
| Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) | EU initiative for transnational collaboration- specific annual calls on urban challenges- Swiss researchers CAN coordinate – details here | ~3.45 Mio CHF/year for 5-8 funded projects anticipated | One call per year. Next deadline: November 21st, 2023. |
Swiss Energy Research Funding
Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE)
The SFOE has created a comprehensive list of energy research and development project funding sources. They also have compiled a list of calls for tenders.
The SFOE has three major research funding programs:
- SFOE Energy Research (R+D): support for applied intradisciplinary research, geared towards one partner or small consortia. Funding rate of 20-100% of direct project costs. Roughly 100 new projects are funded per year, with a total budget of 18 Mio CHF. Projects typically last 1-3 years. Projects are evaluated on an ongoing basis, and it is recommended to contact the head of the research program before application submission.
- SFOE Pilot and Demonstration programme (P+D): support to test technical/economical feasibility of a demonstration project, for one partner or small consortia. Maximum funding rate of 40% of eligible costs. Total budget of 28 Mio CHF, with 40 new projects per year. Project duration is 2-5 years. Proposals may be submitted at any time.
- SFOE SWiss Energy research for the Energy Transition (SWEET): support for transdisciplinary research consortia, with 1-2 thematically specific calls per year. Total budget of 11 Mio CHF per year. Maximum funding rate between 50-80%. The next call will be launched in early 2024. We strongly encourage you to contact us ([email protected]) if you are interested in forming or joining a consortium.
Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)
There is one program offered by FOCA related to energy, the Special Financing for Aviation. The program is under revision and the new program details will be published by the end of 2023. Currently, the program offers funding for projects related to safety (50-75% of funding), security (12.5-25%), and environment (12.5-25%). In 2022, there was 14 Mio allocated to environmental projects. The environment projects should fall within the scope of Art. 37d. Applications are due each year on November 30th.
Office of the Environment (FOEN)
FOEN may support projects that can “reduce environmental pollution in the public interest.” 4 Mio CHF is available each year. More details on the application can be found here. Applications are evaluated twice per year, it is recommended to contact the Innovation Section before submitting an application. FOEN has additionally compiled a database of more than 650 foundations that provide financing for environmental and energy-related projects.
Innosuisse
Innosuisse has several funding mechanisms that are relevant to energy researchers, with the aim of supporting innovation projects carried out by companies working with public-sector research partners. The Innosuisse Guide can help identify which program best suits your project. The overall Innosuisse budget for regular projects was 145 Mio CHF in 2022, with 20 Mio CHF for energy projects. More details on deadlines for specific calls is available in the guide.
European Energy Research Funding
Horizon Europe
As of late 2022, Swiss researcher CAN participate in Horizon Europe as a “non-associated third country”. The only limitation is that they cannot coordinate projects (status updates are available here). A database of calls can be found here. Euresearch, and specifially the team working on Cluster 5 – Energy, can help provide advice and grant writing assistance. For most calls for proposals you must apply as a team of at least 3 partner organizations from different countries. See calls for specific deadlines- more details on how to apply can be found here.
Clean Energy Transition Partnerships (CET)
The CETPartnership enables researchers from 30 countries to align their priorities, pool national budgets, and implement annual joint calls from 2022 to 2027. Switzerland is FULLY associated to the program, meaning Swiss researchers may act as coordinators. Calls are split between seven Transition Initiatives, and consortia should include at least three countries. More details on projects included for Swiss researchers can be found here– in general, in 2023,10 Mio CHF has been authorized from the SFOE P+D Programme to for researchers to participate in many of the open calls. There is one call per year, with the next cycle of pre-proposals due on November 22nd, 2023.
Driving Urban Transitions (DUT)
The DUT Partnership funds research to tackle urban challenges. There is one call per year. The deadline in 2023 is November 21st. Consortia should include at least three countries, and financing is provided directly through SNSF and Innosuisse, with a maximum budget in 2023 of 3.45 Mio CHF and 5-8 funded projects anticipated. Topics in 2023 funded by Switzerland include “15 minute Cities” and “Positive Energy Districts Pathway”. Switzerland is FULLY associated to the program, meaning Swiss researchers may act as coordinators. More details for Swiss researchers can be found here. There is one call per year, with the next cycle of proposals due on November 21st, 2023.
International Energy Research Funding
United States Department of Energy (DOE)
The DOE welcomes applications from international researchers if certain eligibility criteria are met. It is strongly recommended to contact the Research Office for guidance on determining eligibility and preparing a proposal. Funding opportunities can be found via agency-specific websites like ARPA-E, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the DOE Office of Science. All energy-related calls are published on the grants.gov website- a tutorial for how to use the portal is available here. It is also possible to submit a proposal to the US National Science Foundation with a US-based collaborator via the Lead Agency program.