Guides on funding opportunities
Explore the most popular research funding opportunities.
Important: please use your EPFL email address to access these documents on Google.
Discover the new Compendium for Collaborations focusing on special funding opportunities for collaborations financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation (Part 1), Horizon Europe (Part 2), and International funders (Part 3).
Discover the Foundations Compendium, an all-new guide presenting a non-exhaustive collection of Swiss and international grant-making foundations, funding research projects, scientists’ career and science communication.
Most popular funding instruments for postdoctoral fellows in Switzerland.
Toolkits and links to funding opportunities
BRIDGE Discovery is aimed at experienced researchers for basic as well as applied research in order to realise the innovation potential of research findings.
- Next call deadlines: May 17, 2021
- BRIDGE Discovery webpage
Have you earned your spurs as a young researcher and come up with an idea for developing your research results into a marketable product?
- Next call deadlines: June 7, 2021
- BRIDGE Proof of Concept webpage
The Catalyst fund will support projects that aim at developing novel therapeutic approaches, such as cell and gene therapy, optogenetics, bioactive molecules, diagnostic tools, imaging techniques and implants among others.
Application deadline: to be announced
Catalyst Fund webpage
- Next call deadline: October 20, 2022 (collection date)
- COST Actions webpage
The Fondation Latsis Internationale grants CHF 40’000.- for organizing a scientific symposium.
- Next call deadline: March 1 (each year)
- Latsis Symposium webpage
Targeted to scientist who wants to consolidate your independence by establishing a research team and continuing to develop a success career in Europe. SERI recommends Swiss-based applicants to prepare their application to ERC Starting Grants for the deadline of 25 October 2022. If eligibility of Switzerland for this call is not finalised by the deadline, the SNSF will open an integrative call for proposals “SNSF Starting Grants 2023” in November 2022. The SNSF call will be aligned as close as possible with the ERC.
- Next call deadlines: October 25, 2022
- ERC StG webpage
- EPFL Toolkit
Targeted to a group of two to maximum four Principal Investigators (PIs) – of which one will be designated as the corresponding PI (cPI) – working together and bringing different skills and resources to tackle ambitious research problems.
- Next call deadline: November 8, 2022
- ERC SyG webpage
The ETH Domain Open Research Data (ORD) Program consists of 5 measures to foster and improve ORD practices with the broader aim of advancing Open Science among ETH Domain researchers and institutions.
Eurostars joint transnational call for proposals MARCH 2022.
- Next call deadline: September 15, 2022 (13:00 GMT)
- Link to the call
- EUREKA’s Webpage
The Gebert Rüf Stiftung mission is to promote Switzerland as a top location for business and as a place to live. It supports impact-oriented entrepreneurial projects in any disciplines, as well as science outreach.
- Deadlines for InnoBooster and Scientainment: February 1, May 1, September 1 and December 1 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Gebert Rüf Stiftung webpages:
Horizon Europe is the EU funding programme for research and innovation running from 2021 to 2027 with a €100 billion budget.
Switzerland is considered as a non-associated third country for the submission of project proposals in Horizon Europe and other related programmes and initiatives. This status can be changed at any time, but apply for all calls in 2022.
For more information on the association status of Switzerland to Horizon Europe please check the SERI Factsheet and the Q&A documents.
- Next call deadlines: rolling calls
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Hasler Stiftung website
Innosuisse helps leverage your innovation: we support science-based innovation projects carried out by companies – particularly SMEs – working with public-sector research partners.
- Call deadlines: rolling calls each month
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Innosuisse webpage
Fondation Leenaards supports people and institutions in the fields of culture, aging and biomedical science in the Lake Geneva region. The annual Leenaards Prize for Translational Medical Research is awarded to collaborative projects, which investigate a clinical problem, linking it to a component of advanced basic research.
- Next Call Deadline: March 2023 (TBC).
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Leenaards website
The European Commission (EC) has informed the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) that Switzerland will be treated as a non-associated third country for the submission of project proposals in
Switzerland is considered as a non-associated third country for the submission of project proposals in Horizon Europe and other related programmes and initiatives. This status can be changed at any time, but will now apply for calls in 2022.
The participation of Switzerland in MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships (European Fellowships) is by principle excluded as a non-associated third country.
Switzerland is however eligible to act as outgoing host institution in the MSCA Global Fellowship action.
For more information on the association status of Switzerland to Horizon Europe please check the SERI Factsheet and the Q&A documents.
Next call deadline: 15.09.2022
For any question please contact [email protected]
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA) provide grants for all stages of researchers’ careers – be they doctoral candidates or highly experienced researchers – and encourage transnational, intersectoral and interdisciplinary mobility.
The purpose of our Foundation is to foster medical-biological science by supporting research projects conducted at Swiss universities in the field of medicine and medically oriented biology/biochemistry and by co-funding research fellowships abroad.
- Deadlines: February 1 / October 1 (for Research Projects & Research Fellowships) and May 15 (for Young Investigator Grants).
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Foundation’s website
FreeNovation supports unconventional biomedical research projects with the ultimate aim to provide healthcare solutions for patients.
The 2020 thematic call is now closed. Information regarding the 2021 call will be made available early next year at the following links:
The National Research Programmes (NRP) support coordinated research projects that contribute to the solution of urgent problems of national importance.
- No open calls at the moment
- SNSF NRP webpage
Your first step towards scientific independence! The purpose of SNSF Ambizione grants is to enhance researchers’ scientific profile and to help them become scientifically independent in conducting their own research projects.
- Internal deadline: contact your host unit and monitor this page for the updated Toolkit
- Next call deadline: November 2, 2022
- SNSF Ambizione webpage
- EPFL Toolkit
- Check out this video-interview to get advice from our grantees and professors!
The SNSF Professorial Fellowships replace Eccellenza and PRIMA. It allows outstanding researchers to lead an independent research project in any disciplines in CH with CHF 1M for 5 years + the applicant’s salary. Eligibility: Max. 10 years after PhD + Min. 3 years of research after PhD + Swiss link (min. 2 years of research in CH or CH nationality or Swiss degree).
- Internal deadline: contact your host institute and school
- Call opens: November 1, 2022
- Stay tuned for the EPFL Applicant Workshop planned for December 15, 2022 at 12:00
- Applicant Workshop: December 1, 2022 at 12:00
- Deadline: February 1, 2023
- EPFL Toolkit
- SNSF webpage
- Next call deadline: April 1 and October 1 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF Projects webpage
- Next call deadlines: November 2, 2022
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF Sinergia webpage
- Check the SNSF Supplementary Measures applicable for this programme
SPIRIT: the New SNSF programme for international scientific collaboration with countries receiving development assistance.
- Next call deadlines: November 2 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF SPIRIT webpage
SNSF Supplementary measures comprise very specific, targeted funding schemes that are available to grantees of the SNSF if certain conditions are met.
- Next call deadlines: January 31 and July 31 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Swiss Cancer website
EPFL researchers are eligible to apply to many funding programs of the U.S. federal government.
The Velux Stiftung supports basic and applied research in the fields of Daylight, Healthy Ageing, Ophthalmology and Forestry. The foundation aims to have an impact on and contribute to sustainable improvement and the benefit of society. This is achieved by supporting the creation of new knowledge through cutting-edge research and the fostering of its application and dissemination. The foundation attains leverage by focusing on projects with a high potential to initiate change and impact.
- Next call deadline: 19 September 2022 (Forestry) and 30 September 2022 (Daylight & Healthy Ageing).
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Velux Stiftung webpage