SNSF Career funding Schemes 2017-2020: key decisions

The SNSF has decided to develop its career funding schemes - even if some of the measures envisaged in the multi-year plan 2017-2020 cannot be implemented yet for financial reasons. The innovations will focus on earlier scientific independence for promising young researchers.

• The Doc.Grants scheme to finance doctoral theses in all disciplines in Switzerland on a topic of the applicant's own choosing cannot be introduced for financial reasons. The existing Doc.CH scheme for the humanities and social sciences will be continued.
• Doc.Mobility will not be discontinued in the course of the ongoing multi-year period, but only at the end of 2020.
• Postdoc.Mobility: The planned merger of Early Postdoc.Mobility (EPM) and Advanced Postdoc.Mobility (APM) to form Postdoc.Mobility and the changeover to a national competition have been postponed until 2021.
• Ambizione: as of 2017, Ambizione will also be open to young researchers with non.professorial research positions offering career prospects. They will be able to apply for Ambizione grants with or without a salary.
• PRIMA: Prima, Promoting Women in Academia will be the new funding scheme for outstanding women researchers at postdoc level as of autumn 2017. These grants will be more generously funded than Marie Heim-Vögtlin grants and will permit more flexible use of the funds.
• As of 2018, SNSF professorships will be incorporated into a new scheme which will also be open to newly appointed assistant professors. Grants under the new scheme will be awarded with or without a salary, as in Ambizione.

For more information, please contact Prof. Bendetto Lepori.