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.
    • 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

  • International programmes from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

    • 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.

  • International programmes of the federal government

    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 2025-2028: 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 2025-2028 

  • European programmes

    • 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. 
    • COST creates the Europe-wide framework for scientific cooperation and coordination between nationally funded research activities.
    • The Interreg Alpenrhein-Bodensee-Hochrhein programme is a regional programme of the European Union that promotes cross-border cooperation, in which non-EU countries can also participate. The programme area of the Alpine Rhine-Bodensee-Upper Rhine encompasses four sovereign states: Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

  • Wissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion Bodensee (W4)

    The Wissenschaftsverbund Vierländerregion Bodensee (W4) promotes collaboration between research, education and industry to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future in the Lake Constance region. The network supports projects, fosters networking and provides platforms for co-creation., enabling the practical testing and implementation of solutions. This enables the practical testing and implementation of solutions. Future projects also receive additional support, including workshops on team building, impact assessment and scientific communication, as well as access to expert advisory services.