SPIRIT – Swiss Programme for International Research by Scientific Investigation Teams
The Swiss Programme for International Research by Scientific Investigation Teams promotes team-oriented cross-border research.
What do SPIRIT have to offer?
The SNSF offer a wide range of international funding schemes working with foreign funding organisations promoting cross-border collaboration. SPIRIT facilitates knowledge exchange between Swiss researchers and researchers in selected countries receiving development assistance. With SPIRIT, the SNSF give Swiss researchers more opportunities to collaborate with partners in many countries around the world.
Who is SPIRIT targeting?
Funding is awarded to research projects with clearly defined goals that are submitted by excellent research consortia from two to four countries. Researchers from all disciplines can apply for a SPIRIT grant; the topics are chosen by the researchers themselves. The grants contribute to the education of researchers in all participating countries. Special focus will be given to equal opportunities and the promotion of women scientists, as well as to raising awareness of gender-specific questions.
More Details
The programme is intended for two to four research groups, out of which one applicant must engage in research work in Switzerland, and at least one applicant must do so in an eligible partner country. Swiss applicants must meet the eligibility requirements applicable to SNSF project funding. These requirements apply mutatis mutandis to applicants from abroad.
SPIRIT grants
- Duration: 2-4 years
- Maximum grant amount: CHF 500,000; minimum grant amount: CHF 50,000
- At least 30% of each grant must be allocated to Switzerland and at least 30% to the relevant partner country/countries.
- The salaries of applicants in Switzerland or abroad cannot be charged to the grant.
Applicants
- A SPIRIT pre-proposal or full proposal can be jointly submitted by a minimum of two and a maximum of four applicants. At least one applicant must engage in research work in Switzerland, and at least one must do so in an eligible partner country.
- One of the Swiss-based applicants (the responsible applicant) represents the research team.
- The funding periods of SPIRIT grants must not overlap with those of other SPIRIT grants, or of Ambizione or PRIMA grants.
- Eccellenza grantees and SNSF professors may submit a SPIRIT application two years after starting the Eccellenza grant or SNSF professorship at the earliest.
- Swiss applicants must meet the eligibility requirements applicable to SNSF project funding. These requirements apply mutatis mutandis to applicants from abroad.
Restrictions
- If the pre-proposal is rejected, all the applicants involved in it will be barred from submitting any further pre-proposals for 6 months as of the date of the ruling.
- If the evaluators assign the pre-proposal to one of the three lowest ranking categories out of six, all the applicants involved in it will be barred from submitting any further pre-proposals for 18 months as of the date of the ruling.
- Only one SPIRIT grant may be awarded per person.
- SPIRIT grant holders may not submit SPIRIT applications, unless the planned end date of the ongoing grant lies before the planned start date of the proposed research project.
Database Details