Summer break is approaching rapidly, and even though we hope it will bring everyone some well-deserved rest, we also know that this is an important time of the year to plan for new third-party-funded projects. So here is a roundup of some of the most important current open calls.

The SNSF Postdoc.Mobility funding scheme (deadline 02.08.2024) can finance a research fellowship abroad, and early career researchers, who have obtained their PhD in the past three years, are eligible to apply. This instrument offers very good rates for researchers with families, and the SPR is happy to support any applications. Those looking for a prestigious postdoc fellowship in Switzerland for up to four years should keep their eye on the SNSF Ambizione call, which is expected to open over the summer months and will close on 1 November 2024. More established researchers may already now be thinking about the next Project Funding deadline, which is coming up on the 1 October 2024 (N.B. for internationally collaborative projects under the Weave / Lead Agency / International Co-Investigator Scheme agreements the deadlines may vary) or about the Agora call (closes 17.09.2024) which can fund projects in science communication and outreach with a view to creating a dialogue with the public. Furthermore, those seeking to develop a collaborative project with partners outside of Europe may already start to think about the SNSF SPIRIT call, which is set to close on 5 November 2024.

In terms of European research grants, it is exciting that, for the first time in several years, established Swiss researchers can now apply for the ERC Advanced Grant again! Participation in this Horizon Europe scheme was opened to Switzerland for the year 2024 as part of its ongoing negotiations with the European Union, and the deadline is 29 August 2024. Numerous further Horizon Europe calls are currently open (incl. for Swiss researchers) in the thematic clusters, particularly in topics related to Culture, Creativity, and Inclusive Society, as well as topics connected to medicine, mobility, and (clean) energy. The complete list can be found here.

We would also like to remind all researchers with current employment contracts (financed by the UniFr or via SNSF funding) that they can at any time apply to the SNSF Scientific Exchanges instrument, which can fund the organisation of conferences in Switzerland or short-term research visits abroad as well as short-term visits from incoming colleagues from abroad. All researchers working on SNSF projects (Ambizione, Project Funding, or others) who are parents of young children should also consider an application for the SNSF Flexibility Grant, which can be submitted all year round. Women working on SNSF research projects additionally benefit from the Gender equality grant, which is intended to finance career support measures. Don’t forget to check our “Open Calls” page regularly, and click on “subscribe” to add the various calls to your electronic calendar and never miss another deadline.

If none of the above-mentioned calls apply to you, you may wish to have a look at the Pivot RP database for research funding opportunities. You can log in to Pivot RP using your SWITCH-edu ID. Please note that you will get the best results when using English language keywords for your searches.  Here are a few curated searches to get you started:

- Early Career Researchers in Law
- Early Career Researchers in Sustainability topics

Do get in touch with any questions about the Open Calls mentioned or the use of Pivot RP: research@unifr.ch.