Project funding

National programmes, foundations, funding agencies

  • Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)  
    • Project funding gives researchers the opportunity to independently implement research projects on their own topics and research objectives.
    • Sinergia promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between two to four research groups with the prospect of conducting breakthrough research.
    • Weave/Lead Agency scheme is aimed at researchers in Switzerland who want to implement a cross-border research project.
    • SPIRIT – The Swiss Programme for International Research by Scientific Investigation Teams promotes team-oriented cross-border research.
    • Spark enables the rapid testing or development of new scientific approaches, methods, theories, standards and ideas.
  • Innosuisse – Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency promotes risky projects with a high innovation content being conducted by researchers who are yet to find a partner for their implementation.
  • Gebert Rüf Stiftung supports research and development projects with a strong practical orientation designed to benefit the Swiss economy and society.
  • Stiftung Mercator Schweiz initiates and supports projects in three areas: democracy, diversity and climate. 
  • Hasler Foundation primarily supports research, education and innovation projects that involve the further development of information and communication technology (ICT). With its free funding initiative, it supports project applications which cannot be submitted within the framework of a Foundation funding programme and which justifiably do not fall within the funding scope of the SNSF or Innosuisse.

    International programmes

      • Weave / Lead Agency process is aimed at researchers in Switzerland who wish to conduct a cross-border research project.
      • International Co-Investigator Scheme is aimed at researchers in Switzerland whose project includes a subproject abroad. The SNSF evaluates and finances both the project and the subproject abroad.
      • SPIRIT promotes team-oriented cross-border research for international research projects being conducted by academic research teams.

    • The federal government's bilateral cooperation programmes are aimed at promoting and strengthening scientific cooperation between Switzerland and non-European countries that show high or promising research and innovation potential. The bilateral programmes consist of two complementary instruments:

      • Joint Research Projects 2021-2024: Joint research projects (JRPs) are conducted on behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) in cooperation with funding agencies in Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and Vietnam. 
      • Leading Houses 2021-2024 

      • Horizon Europe is the ninth research framework program of the European Union and the largest individual funding program for research and innovation in the world. Its goal is to build up a knowledge- and innovation-based society and a competitive economy and simultaneously to contribute to sustainable development. 
        Switzerland is currently treated as a non-associated third country for the submission of project proposals within «Horizon Europe» and other related programmes and initiatives. This status can be changed at any time, but will now apply for all calls in 2021. Researchers in Switzerland can participate in the calls for proposals, albeit to a limited extent, and receive funding directly from the federal government.
      • COST creates the Europe-wide framework for scientific cooperation and coordination between nationally funded research activities.

    • The Wissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion BodenseeWissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion BodenseeWissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion Bodensee (Lake Constance Arts & Sciences Association) promotes the connection between research, education and practice in order to jointly realize innovative solutions for a sustainable development of the four-country region.