This year, six young researchers will receive Ambizione and PRIMA research funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for research at UNIFR. These programmes allow early-career researchers to fund their first independent research project.

The 2018 successful applicants at UNIFR are all women. Two were selected within the PRIMA programme, which is aimed at “excellent women researchers who show a high potential for obtaining a professorship” according to the terms of the SNSF. Four other candidates were selected for the Ambizione fellowships, a competition open to male and female candidates.

PRIMA grants were awarded to Adria LeBoeuf in biology and Meike Ramon in psychology,  Ambizione grants to Dominique Barcat  and Annalena Müller in history, Ora Hazak in biology, and Michela Pellizzoni in chemistry.

Two of these researchers are already working at UNIFR; the others will join us from the Universities of Lausanne, Basel and Paris. 

The SNSF Ambizione programme funds young scientists over 4 years with salary as well as CHF 400,000 in research funding. PRIMA is a new programme introduced in 2018, specifically dedicated to encouraging women during their transition from postdoctoral fellow to head of a research group. The funding extends over 5 years, and in addition to a salary, provides 750'000 CHF in research funding. 

 Picture : M. Pellizzoni (left) and M. Ramon. Picture by T. Matic.