PRIMA and Eccellenza become SNSF Professorial Fellowships

As of 2022, the two career funding schemes will be merged into a single one, called SNSF Professorial Fellowships. As its predecessors, the new scheme is aimed at outstanding researchers who are on their way to becoming professors. 

Gender equality measures

The gender equality measures are now fully integrated into the new scheme. Nonetheless, a fixed additional funding for women applicants will be available via the PRIMA budget. In total, around 45 SNSF Professorial Fellowships will be awarded.

Changes at a glance

• Project funds: maximum of CHF 1 million (PRIMA budget until now: CHF 750,000) + grantee's salary
• Status: assistant professor (status until now in PRIMA: at least group leader, or assistant professor depending on the higher education institution);
• Call: 1 November - 1 February (for PRIMA until now: 1 August- 1 November);
• Time window for submitting an application: up to 10 years after defending the doctoral thesis (for Eccellenza until now: 8 years); for researchers doing clinical work: 14 years after the medical degree (for Eccellenza until now: 12 years);
• Minimum requirement: 3 years of research work after defending the doctoral thesis (PRIMA until now: 2 years) and connection with Switzerland (like Eccellenza)
• For the first call, the eligibility window will be extended by three months

Internal procedure

The new scheme follows the same internal rules as the previous calls: internal candidates without a professorial position, as well as external candidates, have to undergo an internal assessment to receive the university's support.