Horizon Europe transitional measures - SNSF Starting Grants 2022

Research and Transfer Service

26 November 2021

The SNSF Starting Grants are targeted not only at researchers who wanted to apply for an ERC Starting Grant, but also at those interested in an SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship. Thus, the conditions of employment of the SNSF Starting Grants 2022 are similar to those for researchers who intended to apply to Eccellenza.

For this reason, there will be no Eccellenza call 2022. Instead, International and Swiss-based applicants who aspire to apply for an ERC Starting Grant or an SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship to work in Switzerland are welcome to submit an SNSF Starting Grant proposal to the SNSF.

Switzerland is currently a non-associated third country in the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. On behalf of the federal government, the SNSF already created two transitional solutions in October 2021: the SNSF Advanced Grants and the SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships. 

Comparison ERC Starting Grant –SNSF Eccellenza Professorship Fellowships

  • The eligibility window is 3 to 8 years from the PhD;
  • Unlike Eccellenza, no prior relationship to Switzerland is required;
  • Applicants might already have a professor position abroad. For applicants who already have a professor position in Switzerland, only the research team and not their salary will be funded.

Funding and duration

There will be only one call merging the two schemes. Similarly to Eccellenza, the call funds assistant professor positions within Swiss higher education institutions, including the applicant’s salary and the research team up to 1.8 mio. CHF for five years.

USI Internal Candidates Evaluation

USI welcomes excellent candidates who fit in the university’s scientific profile and display scientific independence, particularly coming from outside. The decision whether to support them will be taken by the rectorate.

For candidates not already having a professor position at USI, the procedure forsees an online presentation and introduction of the applicants in the faculty in which they will be integrated. This step is needed since winners will be integrated in the respective faculty with a similar status as USI assistant professors.

Internal candidates (not already professors) will be supported only exceptionally, when they can demonstrate a clear scientific independence from the host.

To allow for this process, potential candidates have to be announced by December 15th to Martina Pestoni. But, it is strongly advised to contact Prof. Benedetto Lepori beforehand to discuss any issues.

Please find further information on the SNSF dedicated Page.