Research grants for Swiss researchers

Postdoctoral fellowship program in collaboration with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Supports Swiss early-career researchers for research stays in Japan. Mobility/residency rules likely apply.

Online certified education programme open to Master students, Master graduates, PhD students, and healthcare professionals in healthcare-related studies. Covers health data analytics, AI, FAIR principles, GDPR, EHDS, telemedicine, and precision medicine. Costs vary: EU students €1,000, non-EU students €2,000, EU professionals €2,000, non-EU professionals €4,000. Professional English required.

Online education programme open to Master's and PhD students and working/healthcare professionals seeking to upskill in digital medical devices. Covers AI, cybersecurity, MDR/IVDR regulation, and personalised health solutions. Costs vary by applicant type (EU student €1,000 to non-EU professional €4,000 excl. VAT); professional English required.

EIT Label-certified online education programme (up to 30 ECTS) open to Master students/graduates, PhD students, and healthcare professionals in healthcare-related fields. Professional English required. Costs vary: EU students €1,000, non-EU students €2,000, EU professionals €2,000, non-EU professionals €4,000 (excl. VAT). Focuses on high value care, innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership in healthcare.

BRIDGE Discovery is a joint funding scheme by SNSF and Innosuisse supporting projects that bridge fundamental research and innovation/application. Open to researchers at Swiss institutions.

Full proposal stage (by invitation only) for the Crazy 8 Brain Tumor grant targeting pediatric brain tumor research. Open since January 2026; notification in November 2026.

For postdoctoral researchers with a PhD in a biological discipline who wish to pursue frontier, interdisciplinary life sciences research in a new country. Applicants must change country, cannot work in their country of nationality or PhD country, and must have at least one lead-author publication. 100% FTE commitment required; for-profit host institutions ineligible.

For postdoctoral researchers holding a doctoral degree in a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science) with little or no life sciences experience, wishing to transition into frontier life sciences research in a new country. Same mobility, publication, and host-institution rules as LTF; 100% FTE commitment required.

For postdoctoral researchers with a PhD in a biological discipline who wish to pursue frontier, interdisciplinary life sciences research in a new country. Applicants must change country, cannot work in their country of nationality or PhD country, and must have at least one lead-author publication. Purely applied, clinical, or pharmaceutical projects are excluded. Full-time commitment required; 100% FTE.

For postdoctoral researchers holding a doctoral degree from a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science) with little or no life sciences experience, wishing to transition into frontier life sciences research in a new country. Applicants must change country, cannot work in their country of nationality or PhD country, and must have at least one lead-author publication. Full-time commitment required; 100% FTE.

Supports investigator-initiated clinical trials. Applicants must be based at Swiss research institutions. Clinical trial focus with patient-sample needs expected.

For postdoctoral applicants with a PhD in a biological discipline or prior life sciences experience. Must propose to undertake fellowship in an HFSPO member country and must not have previously worked/studied in the proposed host country or with the host supervisor. Excludes clinical, pharmaceutical, applied engineering/biotech projects. Preference for interdisciplinary training involving new methods or study systems.

For postdoctoral applicants with a PhD outside the life sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science) who have never worked in the life sciences. Must propose fellowship in an HFSPO member country; mobility rule prohibits prior work/study in proposed host country or with host supervisor. Excludes clinical, pharmaceutical, and applied projects.

Childhood cancer bio-therapeutic research grant from Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. Opened April 2026; notification November 2026. Scope and eligibility details available on the applicants page.

Thematic multilateral call on personalised medicine under the EP PerMed partnership. Budget cap per call and/or proposal applies. Luxembourg partner must submit INTER application at both pre-proposal and full proposal stage via FNR online system. Thematic call — no bottom-up funding.

International call targeting disruptive technologies. Joint/international scope; Swiss-based applicants expected to partner with international counterparts. Further eligibility details on the call page.

Horizon Europe Research Infrastructure programme calls open March 10 – June 16, 2026. Targets research infrastructure projects; EU consortium requirement applies. FCT coordinates Portuguese national participation. An EC info day was held March 18, 2026. Eligible entities include universities, research centres, and ERIC members.

First call under the One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (OHAMR) international partnership. Focuses on combating antimicrobial resistance through a One Health approach (human, animal, environmental health). Transnational consortia required.

Collaborative research projects between Swiss and Australian institutions on AI in healthcare for underrepresented populations (sex, gender, sexual orientation). Swiss applicants must be based at a Swiss research institution; SNSF funds the Swiss side (max CHF 400k/project), NHMRC funds the Australian side. Up to 10 projects funded. Proposals must be submitted to both agencies.

Bilateral SNSF–Australia call for research on AI-supported healthcare. Requires collaboration between Swiss and Australian research teams. Clinical/health-data focus likely.

International awards recognising outstanding contributions across multiple categories: Basic Sciences, Biology & Biomedicine, Climate Change & Environmental Sciences, Economics/Finance/Management, Humanities, ICT, Music & Opera, and Social Sciences. These are prizes for lifetime/career achievement rather than funded research grants.

Call for proposals under the BrainHealth Partnership focusing on brain health research. Open to researchers affiliated with Swiss institutions applying through SNSF.

Call under the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (THCS) or related health cohort scheme focusing on access to care. Supports research addressing healthcare access challenges within the Swiss context.

Thematic multilateral call on neurodegenerative disorders under the EP BrainHealth partnership. Budget cap per call and/or proposal applies. Luxembourg partner must submit INTER application at both pre-proposal and full proposal stage via FNR online system. Thematic call — no bottom-up funding.

Bilateral Weave/Lead Agency call between SNSF and F.R.S.-FNRS (Belgium, Wallonia-Brussels). Swiss applicants apply under SNSF project funding; Belgian applicants must be based at one of six eligible universities (UCLouvain, ULB, ULiège, UMons, UNamur, USL-B). Max 2 simultaneous SNSF project grants allowed. Proposals in languages other than English (possible in some humanities/social sciences disciplines) require prior agreement with all agencies.

Thematic multilateral call under the ERDERA partnership (rare diseases). Budget cap per call and/or proposal applies. Luxembourg partner must submit INTER application at both pre-proposal and full proposal stage via FNR online system. Thematic call — no bottom-up funding.

Supports internationally mobile postdoctoral researchers; international mobility is a key requirement (host lab must be in a different country). Includes salary/stipend, relocation allowance, and childcare support. A first-author refereed preprint is accepted as equivalent to a publication. Max one candidate per host lab per selection round.

For early-career researchers across biomedical, clinical, social science, and arts & humanities disciplines. Applications managed in English on the Wellcome Funding platform; administering organisation must approve and submit by 15:00 GMT/BST on deadline day. Global eligibility; researchers based in LMICs encouraged. Global Talent visa endorsement available for UK-based award holders.

Supports researchers at the career development stage across a broad range of disciplines (biomedical, clinical, social sciences, arts & humanities, data sciences). Applications managed in English via the Wellcome Funding platform; host organisation must administer the grant. Global eligibility; UK-hosted awardees may access Global Talent visa endorsement.

For early-career independent investigators (lab established 3–8 years prior to Dec 31, 2026; i.e., 2018–2023). Open worldwide to non-profit academic/research institutions. Single PI only; no co-investigators. Applicants must have multi-year independent funding active in 2027. Proposals must be in English and distinct from the applicant's main research portfolio. Indirect costs capped at 10% of direct costs.

Postdoctoral mobility fellowship for researchers with Swiss ties (Swiss nationals, C-permit holders, or PhD/state exam at Swiss HEI). Must apply within 3 years of PhD defence (or 8 years post-state exam for MDs). Requires a research stay abroad; return to institution of education not permitted. Part-time (min. 0.8 FTE) allowed for return grant phase with family care duties.

Fellowship for researchers who have recently completed their doctorate, enabling them to spend time doing research abroad. Applicants must be based in Switzerland. Supports deepening knowledge, widening networks, and strengthening academic profiles through a research stay in another country.

Bilateral Swiss–South African collaborative projects under SNSF Project Funding / Weave Lead Agency scheme. South African partner must be affiliated with a recognised public higher education or research institution in South Africa. Proposals must be submitted in English. Max 2 simultaneous SNSF project grants per applicant; topics must be clearly distinct. Projects start on the same date in both countries.

Open to postdoctoral researchers with a doctoral degree and <5 years of mentored research experience (M.D. applicants exclude residency years). Research must be in immunology or cancer immunology at a non-profit institution worldwide. No citizenship restrictions. Sponsor must hold assistant professor rank or higher. Only 1 fellow per sponsor per round.

Open to early-career scientists worldwide (<5 years mentored research post-PhD at award activation) at non-profit institutions. Supports dual training in cancer immunology and computational biology/data science. No citizenship restrictions. Must be conducted under a sponsor holding assistant professor or higher rank. Proposals must be hypothesis-driven in basic or translational cancer immunology.