Explore the most popular research funding opportunities.
Important: to get access to the toolkits, please login on Google with your EPFL email address.
For a list of funding opportunities created specifically for research to battle the COVID-19 situation, please check the list here.
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.
Funding opportunities by alphabetic order

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: March 8, 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 29, 2021 (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 established, leading principal investigator who wants long-term funding to pursue a ground-breaking, high-risk project.
- Next call deadline: August 31, 2021
- ERC AdG webpage
Targeted to scientist who wants to consolidate your independence by establishing a research team and continuing to develop a success career in Europe.
- Next call deadline: April 20, 2021
- ERC CoG webpage
Targeted to ERC grantees who want to explore the commercial or societal potential of their ERC project.
Next call deadline: March 16, 2021
EPFL PoC Application toolkit
ERC PoC webpage
Targeted to talented early-career scientist who has already produced excellent supervised work, and who is ready to work independently and shows potential to be a research leader.
- Next call deadlines: March 9 , 2021
- ERC StG webpage
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: (expected 2022)
ERC SyG webpage

EUREKA promotes and supports market-oriented international R&D&I project generation.
- Next call deadline: please refer to EUREKA’s webpage
- EUREKA 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 and applied projects on the use of microbial resources in health and technology.
- Deadlines for InnoBooster and Scientainment: February 1, May 1, September 1 and December 1 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Gebert Rüf Stiftung webpages:


- 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 2021
- EPFL Application Toolkit 2020
- Leenaards website

The purpose of our Foundation is to foster medical-biological science by means of financial support for research projects conducted at Swiss universities in the field of medicine and medically oriented biology/biochemistry.
- Next call deadlines: February 1, May 15, October 1 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Novartis 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:

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: Expecte October, 2021
- Next call deadline: November 1, 2021
- EPFL Toolkit for SNSF Ambizione (login with your Gaspar account)
- SNSF Ambizione webpage

The Compendium for Collaborations focuses in particular on Funding for Collaborations financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation. You will find an exhaustive collection of renowned and lesser-known SNSF Funding instruments supporting scientific collaboration with researchers in Switzerland and abroad. Funding is available for the usual personnel and research-related costs; for research visits, in the form of travel and living allowances; and for scientific networks.

The stepping stone to your professorship!
PRIMA grants are aimed at excellent women researchers who show a high potential for obtaining a professorship. PRIMA grantees conduct an independent research project with their own team at a Swiss research institution.
- Internal deadline: Expected October, 2021
- Next call deadline: November 1, 2021
- EPFL Toolkit for SNSF PRIMA (login with your Gaspar account)
- SNSF PRIMA webpage

- Next call deadline: April 1, 2021
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF Projects webpage

- Next call deadlines: June 1, 2021
- 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: rolling calls
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF SPIRIT webpage

- Next call deadlines: January 31 and July 31 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Swiss Cancer website

- Grants.gov funding opportunities
- Grants.gov workspaces (as of 01.01.2018)

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: (to be announced)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Velux Stiftung 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.
- Next call deadline: November 1, 2021
- SNSF Ambizione webpage
The stepping stone to your professorship!
PRIMA grants are aimed at excellent women researchers who show a high potential for obtaining a professorship. PRIMA grantees conduct an independent research project with their own team at a Swiss research institution.
- Next call deadline: November 1, 2021
- SNSF PRIMA webpage
- Next call deadlines: March 1, 2021
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF Projects webpage
- Next call deadlines: June 1, 2021
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF Sinergia webpage
- Check the SNSF Supplementary Measures applicable for this programme
- Call deadline: (none expected in 2021)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF Spark webpage
SNSF SPIRIT: the New SNSF programme for international scientific collaboration with countries receiving development assistance.
- Next call deadlines: rolling calls
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- SNSF SPIRIT webpage
SNSF COST: the New SNSF programme for international scientific collaboration with countries receiving development assistance.

Targeted to talented early-career scientist who has already produced excellent supervised work, and who is ready to work independently and shows potential to be a research leader.
- Next call deadlines: (expected early 2021)
- ERC StG webpage
Targeted to scientist who wants to consolidate your independence by establishing a research team and continuing to develop a success career in Europe.
- Next call deadline: (expected early 2021)
- ERC CoG webpage
Targeted to established, leading principal investigator who wants long-term funding to pursue a ground-breaking, high-risk project.
- Next call deadline: to be announced
- ERC AdG webpage
Targeted to ERC grantees who want to explore the commercial or societal potential of their ERC project.
Next call deadline: (Expected early 2021)
EPFL PoC Application toolkit
ERC PoC webpage
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: (expected Autumn 2021)
ERC SyG webpage

EU Commission

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
EUREKA promotes and supports market-oriented international R&D&I project generation.
- Next call deadline: please refer to EUREKA’s webpage
- EUREKA webpage

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: March 8, 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.
No upcoming call deadline foreseen
Catalyst Fund webpage
The Fondation Latsis Internationale grants CHF 40’000.- for organizing a scientific symposium.
- Next call deadline: March 1 (each year)
- Latsis Symposium webpage

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.
Selected Foundations
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 and applied projects on the use of microbial resources in health and technology.
- Deadlines for InnoBooster and Scientainment: February 1, May 1, September 1 and December 1 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Gebert Rüf Stiftung webpages:
- Next call deadlines: rolling calls
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Hasler Stiftung website
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 2020
- Deadline for Letters for Intent: March 9, 2020
- Internal deadline for Institutional Support Letter: May 20, 2020 (contact [email protected]).
- Deadline for full proposals: May 29, 2020 (upon invitation)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Leenaards website
The purpose of our Foundation is to foster medical-biological science by means of financial support for research projects conducted at Swiss universities in the field of medicine and medically oriented biology/biochemistry.
- Next call deadlines: February 1, May 15, October 1 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Novartis 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:
- Next call deadlines: January 31 and July 31 (every year)
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Swiss Cancer website
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: September 30, 2020
- EPFL Application Toolkit
- Velux Stiftung webpage

- Grants.gov funding opportunities
- Grants.gov workspaces (as of 01.01.2018)
Intergovernmental Grants
EMBO Young Investigators: Supporting some of the best young researchers in the life sciences as they begin their independent laboratories.
HFSP Research Grants: Supporting innovative basic research performed by teams of scientists into fundamental biological problems.