Funding
This website offers a comprehensive overview of funding opportunities to support global research collaborations. It features Swiss funding programmes and a selection of additional platforms where further opportunities can be found.
Open calls
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Leading House Latin America: Exploratory Public Health Research Mission
The Exploratory Public Health Research Mission’s objective is to connect researchers from Swiss universities to the Cuban and Brazilian science and innovation landscape. The call is designed for researchers who already have, or plan to develop, bilateral collaborations with Latin American universities on health-related topics, and who want to build a network of contacts for future research projects. Deadline: 31.01.2026.
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships: Asia-Pacific
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships offers students from India, Singapore, Australia, Brunei, and select Pacific Island Countries (Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji) fully-funded research stints in a Swiss laboratory of their choosing. Deadline: 31.01.2026
Image: Swissnex
Leading House Latin America: Early Career Grant 2025/2026
The Early-Career Grant specifically targets emerging researchers (PostDocs and PhD students). It enables the integration of the next generation of scientists into international collaboration and offers researchers the opportunity to enhance their studies through a stay and fieldwork in Latin America without being part of a team or academic group. Deadline: 06.03.2026
Image: https://gimla.unisg.ch/en/leading-house/early-career-grant-2023-1/Overview Swiss Funding Instruments
SOR4D - Solution-oriented Research for Development
The Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) programme is a joint funding instrument between the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) that builds on experiences and lessons learnt in previous joint programmes.
The Call for Proposals is open until 18 May 2026.
TRANSFORM
In 2020, the SDC launched this programme for the period 2020–2030. This programme co-finances applied, inter- and trans-disciplinary research projects that have a transformative effect on society and thus accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda. These projects respond to concrete needs of development actors and are initiated by consortiums composed of research institutes from Switzerland and the Global South as well as implementing partners (NGOs, governmental actors, private companies).
Currently no call for proposals is open.
SPIRIT – Swiss Programme for International Research by Scientific Investigation Teams
The SNSF SPIRIT programme facilitates knowledge exchange between Swiss researchers and researchers in selected countries that are receiving development assistance. With SPIRIT, the SNSF is giving Swiss researchers more opportunities to collaborate with partners in many countries around the world.
LH - Leading Houses
The Leading Houses foster new initiatives for bilateral research and innovation cooperation in regions offering significant scientific potential. To this end, they provide seed funding for research and innovation pilot projects, funding for international workshops and seminars, and small grants for researcher mobility. The Leading Houses are mandated to Swiss higher education institutions by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) as part of the Federal International Strategy for Education, Research and Innovation.
The following five higher education institutions have been mandated to manage each a Leading House in the period 2025-2028:
JRPs - Joint Research Projects
SNSF JRPs enable researchers from Switzerland to address specific research questions together with researchers from partner countries. The projects are generally completed within three to four years. Similar research costs are covered under the JRPs as in SNSF project funding. The SNSF is organising the calls together with partner organisations in the respective countries. Successful projects will be jointly supported, with each organisation funding the researchers based in its own country. Calls may be launched at irregular intervals and may be limited to specific subject areas that are relevant for both the countries involved.
Partner Countries:
The Brazilian-Swiss Joint Research Programme (BSJRP) is aimed at researchers in Switzerland who wish to address specific research questions together with partners in Brazil.
Research cooperation with China.
JRPs allow researchers in Switzerland to collaborate with a partner in India.
In the context of the Swiss-South African Joint Research Programme (SSAJRP), the SNSF has launched two calls for joint research projects (JPRs) with its sister organisation in South Africa, the National Research Foundation (NRF).
Following their successful collaboration, the two funding agencies have signed a Lead Agency agreement. Joint projects can now be submitted directly to SNSF project funding or to the NRF.
Joint Research Projects (JRPs) enable researchers in Switzerland to carry out joint projects together with research partners in Ukraine. The projects run for a period of two to three years, with a maximum of 250,000 francs per project available for the Swiss part. The costs that are chargeable to the grant are similar to those currently covered in national SNSF projects.
The JRPs will enable researchers in Switzerland to carry out joint projects with research partners in Vietnam. The projects will run for a period of three or four years; a maximum of 400,000 francs per project will be available for the Swiss part. The costs are similar to those currently chargeable to national project grants awarded by the SNSF.
Horizon Europe Pillar 2
Horizon Europe Pillar 2 supports collaborative research and innovation through thematic clusters that address major global challenges such as health, climate, and sustainable development. It promotes international cooperation by enabling the participation of partners from low- and middle-income countries in multinational consortia, bringing complementary expertise and local knowledge. Now that Switzerland has regained its status of Associated Country, Swiss-based entities can coordinate projects as full beneficiaries and participate as beneficiary eligible for EU funding.
Global Health EDCTP3
The Global Health European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership 3 (Global Health EDCTP3) is a European and African partnership that aims to deliver new solutions reducing the burden of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, and strengthen research capacities for preparedness and response against re-emerging infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa and globally.
Swissuniversities: Scholarships to study abroad
For Swiss students and researchers swissuniversities manages government scholarships of over 30 countries for study or research stays abroad.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists
The Swiss Government, through the Federal commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), awards various postgraduate scholarships to foreign scholars and researchers. The scholarships provide graduates from all fields with the opportunity to pursue doctoral or postdoctoral research in Switzerland at one of the public funded university or recognized institution.
Scientific Exchanges
SNSF Scientific Exchanges 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. The SNSF finances stays of up to six months.
Visit your research partner abroad
Invite researchers from abroad to Switzerland
Bring together a number of researchers to organise a conference in Switzerland
Running Call:
All year round (apply at least 4 months before the event or visit)
Project Funding
The SNSF Project Funding scheme 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.
- Project Funding can cover the costs of international exchanges.
- You can involve a partner from abroad in your project. Project partners make a limited contribution and, unlike applicants, are not co-responsible for the project. Their research costs are covered by the project budget.
Submission deadlines: 01 April and 01 October of every year, 17:00 Swiss time
Webinar recording and slides on new regulations for project funding
Mobility grants in projects
Mobility grants are aimed at doctoral students who wish to improve their scientific profile by going abroad while being employed in an ongoing SNSF research project. During the period spent abroad, the grantee will remain matriculated at the Swiss home institution and employed as a doctoral student in the SNSF-funded research project.
Applications can be submitted anytime.
Postdoc.Mobility
SNSF Postdoc.Mobility fellowships are aimed at researchers who have done a doctorate and who wish to pursue a scientific or an academic career in Switzerland.
The fellowships include a grant for subsistence costs, a flat-rate for travel expenses and a possible contribution to research and conference costs. In addition, fellowship holders can apply for a return grant to finance their initial period of research after returning to Switzerland. The funding period is in principle 24 months (fellowship) and 3 to 12 months (return phase).
Submission deadlines: 01.02 resp. 02.08, 17:00 Swiss local time
Further SNSF Funding
SNSF has different funding instruments that are not explicitly designed for but can be used for research collaborations.
In June 2023 Sinergia was integrated into the SNSF Programme: Project Funding. Proposals for Project Funding include now all types of collaborative projects and can be submitted by 1 October and 1 April every year.
Innosuisse
Innosuisse is the Swiss Innovation Agency. Its role is to promote science-based innovation in the interest of the economy and society in Switzerland. Innosuisse supports science-based innovation in the interest of the economy and society through innovation projects, support for start-ups, internationalisation and networking support. International tenders include collaboration within European and selected partner countries.
FDFA Mandates
The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) awards mandates to contractors with subject-matter expertise, such as aid agencies, research institutions and private companies, for the implementation of specific projects and programmes, including those in the area of international cooperation (development cooperation, cooperation with Eastern Europe and humanitarian aid).
- Mandates over CHF 230,000 are published on SIMAP, the electronic public procurement platform of the federal government.
- Mandates below CHF 230,00 are published at the website of the FDFA.
Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences
The SAGW supports international collaboration in the humanities and social sciences. Applicants must demonstrate affiliation with a Swiss university. Nationality and place of residence are not considered in the evaluation. Applications must be submitted no later than two months before the scheduled event.
REPIC
REPIC is the interdepartmental platform for the promotion of renewable energy, energy and resource efficiency in international cooperation. REPIC is partially financing new, sustainable and effective small-scale projects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries from Swiss institutions with high replication potential.
Movetia
Mandated by the federal government and the cantons Movetia finances exchange projects in the field of education. Staff of higher education institutions can develop their skills abroad by attending training in the form of courses and seminars, or by taking part in job shadowing programmes. Students have the opportunity to spend time abroad during their studies. They can choose to do an exchange semester at another university or gain work experience with a traineeship. Financial support is available both for studying and for working abroad.
Swiss Network for International Studies, SNIS
The SNIS promotes academic research in the interdisciplinary area of international studies. Thematic areas of interest include environment, development, health, human rights and education.
Velux Stiftung
Velux Stiftung supports innovative research that tackles the complex challenges we face as a society with an interdisciplinary approach. Its Ophthalmology Programme specifically focuses on LMICs, but other programmes are also open for global research collaborations.
Geneva Science-Policy Interface: Impact Collaboration Programme
This annual call for projects provides funding to spot, support and scale science-policy collaborations that contribute to strengthening science-informed policy-making and build policy-relevant research and tools in support of global governance actors based in Geneva.
Nestlé Foundation
The Nestlé Foundation initiates and supports research in human nutrition with public health relevance in low-income and lower middle-income countries according to the World Bank classification.
Sight and Life
Sight and Life has recently instituted its new strategy and as such the grants (humanitarian, educational, conference grants) have been redesigned. The strategic focuses are micronutrient dietary improvement through supplementation and fortification; promoting partnerships and building capacity; and sharing knowledge for improved nutrition.
Scholars at Risk
Scholars at Risk supports Scholars at Risk. They currently provide a comprehensive overview on fellowships and resources for students and researchers from Ukraine and Afghanistan.
In collaboration with Scholars at Risk Switzerland, the SNSF is supporting placements of researchers under threat in Switzerland.
Perspectives Studies
Informations for refugees, who wish to study in Switzerland and people who support them along their way.
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships is a program that opens doors for students from India, Singapore and Australia to the world of Swiss academia. The scholarship accepts students who have completed their 2nd year of graduation or post-graduation, while being enrolled with an Indian, Singaporean or Australian university.
Funding by different Universities
Contact
SCNAT
Swiss Alliance for Global Research Partnerships (GRP-Alliance)
House of Academies
PO Box
3001 Bern
Switzerland
Further collections of funding opportunities
If you are a research funder and wish to promote your funding instrument at our website, please let us know: