Dear researchers at Unifr,

We would like to share with you some important news from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). 

1. Transitional measures continued: the SNSF is launching another round of calls for three transitional measures in 2023: SNSF Advanced Grants, SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships and SNSF Consolidator Grants. The call for SNSF Consolidator Grants will open on 3 July and close on 16 October 2023. More detailed information will soon be available on the SNSF website.

2. Project funding reworked: for the deadline in October, the SNSF will introduce a couple of changes:

• Due to the integration of the Sinergia programme into project funding, this scheme now allows for collaborative and interdisciplinary research projects. Further adaptations include the possibility to add co-applicants from abroad, to budget coordination costs and a maximum budget per applicant. The relevant regulations are currently reworked and will be published in July 2023. On the corresponding SNSF website you can read up on the changes to come.
• New portal for SNSF applications: the new SNSF portal will gradually replace the current platform mySNF. The entire application procedure for the project funding deadline in October will have to be done via the new portal. In case you have not done so yet, we recommend to create an account at https://portal.snf.ch/ now and familiarize yourself with the platform.
• DMP only required for approved projects: Until now, anyone applying for funding to the SNSF had to complete a Data Management Plan (DMP) at the application stage. This is no longer the case. From now on, a DMP will only have to be provided once a project is approved. However, do not forget to budget for Open Research Data costs at the application stage. 

3. New National Research Programmes (NRP) announced: The Swiss Confederation has commissioned the SNSF to run four NRPs. Calls for NRPs on “Baukultur”, “biodiversity”, “gender medicine” and “plant breeding” will be launched in December 2023 and will be of interest for many Unifr researchers. More details can be found on the corresponding SNSF website.

4. New National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR) announced: The SNSF has been commissioned to issue the sixth call for National Research Programmes. The call, which is aiming at all scientific disciplines, will be published in the second half of November 2023. For information: Unifr researchers with an idea for a new NCCR are requested to communicate it in a max. 5-page document to the Vice Rector for Research and Innovation, Prof. Katharina Fromm, by the end of the year.

5. New collaboration opportunities with the US: A new Lead Agency agreement between the NSF and SNSF started this year. All the Directorates of the NSF are taking part except the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and the Division of Chemistry. To participate in the call, applicants need an approved Expression of Interest (EOI) from the NSF by August 2^nd as a first step. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us (Research Promotion Service) if you have questions or need support related to the above-mentioned topics.