Selected funding opportunities

Doc.CH The Swiss National Science Foundation provides funding to promising researchers who are interested in doing a PhD on a topic of their own choice in humanities and social sciences in Switzerland.

Mobi.Doc The University of St.Gallen supports young researchers with the new “Mobility grant for doctoral students of the University of St.Gallen” (Mobi.Doc) who would like to strengthen their academic profile with a research stay abroard.

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships These government scholarships encourage international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 countries. They are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master's or doctoral degree and at international artists who have completed a bachelor's degree.

SAGW Travel expense support for participation in scientific meetings. This is aimed at young scientists (up to the age of 38) and persons representing Swiss organisations in international umbrella organisations.

PhD partnerships The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) awards funding to “cotutelle de thèse” projects or PhD partnerships that have been defined in a cooperation agreement between a Swiss higher education institution and a partner institution abroad (Europe and Israel). (Please note that these PhD partnership are not possible at the University of St.Gallen)

Movetia /ERASMUS The Swiss-European Mobility Programme (formerly Erasmus) provides opportunities for doctoral students to spend time abroad.

BRIDGE Proof of Concept This programme of the SNSF and Innosuisse supports projects at the interface between basic research and science-based innovation. The programme is aimed at young researchers who want to develop a product or service based on their research.

Mobility grants in SNSF projects Doctoral students who are employed in a research project financed by the SNSF can apply for a mobility contribution of 6-12 months.

Foreign government scholarships swissuniversities manages government scholarships of over 30 countries. Scholarships for a study or research stay abroad are offered to Swiss students, researchers and, to a lesser degree, artists. Non-Swiss citizens may also apply for scholarships of certain countries as long as the applicant resides in Switzerland and is matriculated at a Swiss higher education institution.

Foundations Numerous foundations in Switzerland promote grants for young and mid-career reserarchers. Our Funding Finder maintains a list of selected foundations that fund scientific projects.

GFF-IPF With the International Postdoctoral Fellowship (IPF) the University of St.Gallen supports young researchers regardless of their institutional attachment to develop their own independent postdoctoral research or habilitation thesis.

Postdoc.Mobility Postdoc.Mobility fellowships are aimed at researchers who have done a doctorate and who wish to pursue an academic career in Switzerland. A research stay abroad enables such researchers to acquire more in-depth knowledge, increases their scientific independence and enhances their research profile.

Ambizione Ambizione fellowships and grants are aimed at young researchers who wish to conduct, manage and lead an independent project at a Swiss higher education institution.

Eccellenza  SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowships are aimed at highly qualified young researchers who aspire to a permanent professorship. Eccellenza supports them in achieving their goal by allowing them to lead a generously funded research project with their own team at a Swiss higher education institution.

PRIMA  This funding scheme is aimed at excellent female 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.

Practice-to-Science The SNSF awards Practice-to-Science grants to qualified experts with proven practical experience who wish to join a university of applied sciences or a university of teacher education as an assistant professor.

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships These government scholarships encourage international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 countries. They are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master's or doctoral degree and at international artists who have completed a bachelor's degree.

BRIDGE Proof of Concept This programme of the SNSF and Innosuisse supports projects at the interface between basic research and science-based innovation. The programme is aimed at young researchers who want to develop a product or service based on their research.

AXA Post-Doctoral Fellowships The AXA Fellowship is a funding scheme aiming at supporting young promising researchers on a priority topic aligned with AXA and the Society. Our support should be transformative for the researcher and the advancement of her/his research field.

MSCA Marie Curie Fellowships are aimed at increasing the mobility of young researchers after their doctorate.

ERC Starting and ERC Consolidator Grants The European Research Council (ERC) supports excellent researchers with highly competitive grants to establish or consolidate their own research group.

Foreign government scholarships swissuniversities manages government scholarships of over 30 countries. Scholarships for a study or research stay abroad are offered to Swiss students, researchers and, to a lesser degree, artists. Non-Swiss citizens may also apply for scholarships of certain countries as long as the applicant resides in Switzerland and is matriculated at a Swiss higher education institution.

Scientific Exchanges This SNSF scheme is aimed at researchers who want to host their own scientific event in Switzerland, invite colleagues from abroad for a research visit to Switzerland, or visit their colleagues in another country. Research visits by Swiss researchers to other countries or by researchers from abroad to Switzerland are funded for a period of 1 to 6 months.

SAGW Travel expense support for participation in scientific meetings. This is aimed at young scientists (up to the age of 38) and persons representing Swiss organisations in international umbrella organisations.

Foundations Numerous foundations in Switzerland promote grants for young and mid-career reserarchers. Our Funding Finder maintains a list of selected foundations that fund scientific projects.

Projects in all disciplines With its project funding scheme, the Swiss National Science Foundation enables researchers to independently conduct research projects with topics and goals of their own choice. Applicants can apply for funding of research costs and staff salaries, as well as of scientific cooperation, networking and communication; however, they may not apply for their own salaries.

Sinergia Funding scheme for collaborative and interdisciplinary research that promises breakthrough research. The programme promotes collaboration between two to four research groups. Within the framework of the thematically defined programmes, the SNSF issues calls for proposals for research projects.

National Research Programmes (NRPs) Promotion of research projects that contribute to solving the key problems of today. Within the framework of the thematically defined programmes, the SNSF issues calls for proposals for research projects.

National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) NCCRs are aimed at established researchers in Switzerland who wish to pursue a long-term research project on a theme of strategic importance. NCCRs are backed by one or more home institution.

SPARK The aim of SNSF Spark is to fund the rapid testing or development of new scientific approaches, methods, theories, standards and ideas for applications. It is intended for projects that show unconventional thinking and introduce a unique approach. The program is a pilot funding scheme of the SNF for 2019-2020.

SPIRIT The SPIRIT programme facilitates knowledge exchange between Swiss researchers and researchers in selected developing countries that are receiving Swiss development cooperation assistance. Researchers from all disciplines can apply. Funding is awarded to research projects with clearly defined goals that are submitted by excellent research consortia from two to four countries.

Innosuisse projects With various innovation project, networking, training and coaching schemes, the Swiss Innovation Agency Innosuisse specifically promotes cooperation between universities and companies.

BRIDGE Discovery BRIDGE (a joint-initiative of the SNSF and Innosuisse) supports projects at the interface between basic research and science-based innovation. BRIDGE Discovery is aimed at experienced researchers who are keen to explore and implement the innovation potential of research results.

ERC Consolidator und ERC Advanced Grants The European Research Council (ERC) supports ground-breaking research ideas of all disciplines by established researchers with highly competitive grants (project duration: up to 6 years).

Foundations Numerous foundations in Switzerland promote basic research in various disciplines. Our Funding Finder maintains a list of selected foundations that fund scientific projects.

Multilateral Research and Innovation Cooperation Instruments SERI offers various multilateral cooperation instruments for Swiss researchers in industry, SMEs and universities to network with European countries and conduct joint research.

Federal project contributions through swissuniversities Higher education institutions may receive federal project contributions that enable them to conduct innovative projects – either jointly or individually – that are of Swiss-wide relevance in higher education policy.