News / Actualities
Current calls, events and information
Table of contents
University of Lucerne, research commission (FoKo)
University of Lucerne, promotion of junior researchers
University of Lucerne, advice and information
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
External Calls
Horizon Europe & Support Euresearch
External Training
More research news
Research Commission of the University of Lucerne (FoKo)
The University of Lucerne research committee (FoKo) would be delighted to support your research project in accordance with its guidelines and looks forward to receiving applications. There are two submission deadlines per year one in spring and the other in autumn. Urgent applications from CHF 1,000 up to a maximum of CHF 12,000 (from 2021 on) may be submitted outside of these deadlines. Valid reasons must be given for the urgency.
Submission deadlines 2023
- 6 March 2022 (meeting: 30 March 2023)
- 2 October 2022 (meeting: 26 October 2023)
Here you can find answers to some frequently asked questions about FoKo applications: research projects that are supported by the FoKo; eligibility; submission deadlines; applications outside of deadlines and retroactive applications; criteria and priorities for assessment; formalities; waiting time for FoKo decisions; reporting obligations for applicants.
The faculties and the department of Health Sciences and Medicine have available some additional funds to the ones of the research committee (FoKo) to support small research schemes (as well possible for PhD students). Pls. inform you:
- Faculty of Theology: teres.graf@unilu.ch (faculty manager)
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: guidelines KSF(only in German)
- Faculty of Law: guidelines RF(only in German)
- Faculty of Economics and Management: rayk.sprecher@unilu.ch (faculty manager)
- department of Health Sciences and Medicine: guidelines GWM
University of Lucerne, promotion of junior researchers
The Graduate School of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (GSL) supports doctoral students at the beginning of the dissertation with 12 month seed money to work out applications for the SNSF (Doc.CH) or other funding institutions.
- Target group: Doctoral students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the beginning of the dissertation
- Support: 45% employment, 12 months, CHF 42'336
- Calls: one time each semester, two seed money supports each year
- Next deadline: 31 January 2023
- Start of employment: 1 April 2023
SpeedUp seeks to accelerate the process of obtaining a postdoctoral academic qualification at the University of Lucerne by providing the successful applicant with a sabbatical. This is awarded by the university’s research committee (FoKo).
- Sabbatical duration: max. six months
- Purpose: a period of time off to focus on your postdoctorate, with no teaching and administrative responsibilities but with ongoing payment of wages
- Target group: postdocs, senior teaching and research assistants / assistant professors without tenure track
- Number of sabbaticals per year: (generally) two
- Amount for replacement staff: CHF 25,000
- Submission deadline: there are two standard FoKo deadlines for 2023.
SpeedUp-Regulations: FoKo-Guideline sheet, 4.2 c) and FoKo-submission deadlines
At the University of Lucerne, the GA-UniLu will finance with support by Swissuniversities at least four mobility contributions (overseas stays of between six and a maximum of 12 months) for doctoral students every year. A maximum of CHF 50,000 is available for a mobility contribution. There will be two submission deadlines every year: one in spring (March) and one in autumn (October).
- Deadline spring 2023: 6 March, 2023
- Deadline autumn 2023: 2 October 2023
The prorectorate research supports the publication of excellent dissertations at the University of Lucerne and evaluates the applications.
Conditions
- Dissertation rating: "Summa cum laude"
- Efforts to obtain third-party funding
- Publication as "Open Access" according to the Open Access Guidelines of the University of Lucerne, possible embargo periode max. 12 months (golden or green road)
- Submission of application before publication (retroactive applications are not possible)
- Support: half of the publication costs, up to max. CHF 4,000
- Assignment of any author fees to the University of Lucerne up to the amount of the support contribution by means of a cession agreement.
- Mention of support from the Prorectorate for Research, University of Lucerne
Application documents (to be submitted as one pdf)
- Application letter to: Vice-Rector Research, Prof. Alexander Trechsel
- Short description of the dissertation project and publication date (max. 1 page)
- Table of contents
- Certificate of completion of the dissertation with "Summa cum laude" from the dean's office
- Publisher's calculation incl. open access confirmation
- Proof of third-party funding
Submission (possible at any time)
For the attention of the Vice Rector Research, Prof. Alexander Trechsel: foko@unilu.ch
Contact for information and advice
- Dr. Bruno Z'Graggen, research promotion unit director
- Lucette Oggier, secretariat research promotion unit
- Dr. Simone Rosenkranz (ZHB) for open access issues
Other institutions that contribute to publications
- SNSF: support for publications / Open Access (recommendation, also possible for dissertations outside an SNSF project)
- Dr. Josef Schmid Stiftung
The Swissuniversities project "Campus Lucerne: Cooperative Promotion of Doctoral Studies at the Lucerne Universities" promotes doctoral training by means of courses on research skills and bottom-up offers.
1. Course offers
- Target group: Doctoral students, lecturers and employees of the universities in Lucerne (Lucerne Campus)
- Registration conditions and current course offer (only in German)
2. Bottom-Up offer
- Target group: Doctoral students, lecturers and employees of the universities in Lucerne (Lucerne Campus)
- Supported formats: Workshops, doctoral retreats, summer and winter schools, colloquia, etc.
- Budget per year and university: CHF 8'000
- Two annual submission deadlines: 3 May and 3 November
- Contact person of the University of Lucerne: Dr. Christina Cavedon, GSL
More information (only in German)
- For doctoral students and postdocs of all faculties: Graduate Academy
- For doctoral students of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences: Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Lucerne (GSL)
- For all university members: Office of Equal Opportunity
The Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAGW) promotes academic exchange abroad by covering travel and accommodation costs.
- Target group: Junior researchers, doctoral students and postdocs
- Condition: Active participation in conference abroad
- General age limit: 38 years
- Waiver of age limit for: Junior researchers without a secure position in the academic system
- Coverage of: Travel and accommodation costs (max. CHF 150/night)
- Deadlines for submission: Possible at any time, at the latest two months before the event date
- Frequency restriction: entry possible every two years
More information (only in German/French)
Do you want to receive a doctor's degree succesfully or are you asking yourself: doctorate - and than, afterwards?
See: Guide for doctoral and postdoctoral candidates
University of Lucerne, advice and information
1. Research promotion unit
Do you have questions about funding your research project, submitting applications to the FoKo or third-party funding providers, or planning your academic career?
- Dates: Each Wednesday, 14:00-15:00 (during the semester)
- Place: 3.A60 (break room, third floor)
- Services: More information
- Contact: bruno.zgraggen@unilu.ch or foko@unilu.ch
2. CoffeeTalk+
Dr. Bruno Z'Graggen, Research Promotion Unit Director invites you with pleasure during the semester to an uncomplicated "CoffeeTalk+". Pass by without inscription!
- Contact: bruno.zgraggen@unilu.ch
1. SNF: projects, programs, publications and exchange (conferences etc.)
- Speaker: Dr. phil. Bruno Z'Graggen, Research Promotion Unit Director
- Target audience: Master students (in the process of completing their dissertation), candocs, postdocs and professors of all faculties
- Date: Wednesday, 3 May, 2023, 12.15-13h
- Location: Conference room 4.B46 (face-to-face event)
- Registration desired to (also possible on short notice): foko@unilu.ch
2. career promotion: options at the University of Lucerne, via SNF and EU
- Speaker: Dr. phil. Bruno Z'Graggen, Head of Research Funding Office
- Target audience: Master students (in the process of completing their dissertation), candocs and postdocs of all faculties
- Date: Wednesday, 3 May, 2023, 13.15-14h
- Location: Conference room 4.B46 (face-to-face meeting)
- Registration desired to (also possible at short notice): foko@unilu.ch
1. SNF: projects, programs, publications and exchange (conferences etc.)
- Speaker: Dr. phil. Bruno Z'Graggen, Research Promotion Unit Director
- Target audience: Master students (in the process of completing their dissertation), candocs, postdocs and professors of all faculties
- Date: Wednesday, 15 November, 2023, 12.15-13h
- Location: Conference room 4.B46 (face-to-face event)
- Registration desired to (also possible on short notice): foko@unilu.ch
2. career promotion: options at the University of Lucerne, via SNF and EU
- Speaker: Dr. phil. Bruno Z'Graggen, Head of Research Funding Office
- Target audience: Master students (in the process of completing their dissertation), candocs and postdocs of all faculties
- Date: Wednesday, 15 November, 2023, 13.15-14h
- Location: Conference room 4.B46 (face-to-face meeting)
- Registration desired to (also possible at short notice): foko@unilu.ch
The Zentral- und Hochschulbibliothek Luzern (ZHB) offers in cooperation with the University of Lucerne internal assistance ref. SNSF Data Management Plan (DMP) and publications in Open Access:
- SNSF Data Management Plan Guidelines
- SNSF Open Access
- Checklist ref. DMP for SNSF
- Assistance ref. DMP: Dr. Nadja Meyenhofer
- Open Access at the ZHB, overview
- Assistance ref. Open Access: Dr. Simone Rosenkranz
The Code of conduct for scientific integrity was edited by the Swiss Academies for Arts and Sciences newly 2021 and is supported by the SNSF, Swissuniversities and Innosuisse.
Code of conduct for scientific integrity
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is the most important third-party funding agency for research funding in Switzerland. It promotes research in a variety of ways, as set out in its strategy and goals for the coming years: SNSF-Strategy / multi-year programmes 2021-2028
In spite of detailed information and advice: some misconceptions about SNSF research funding continue to do the rounds. We’ll tell you what’s true.
For a number of years, the SNSF has acted as the nomination body for the Postdoctoral Fellowships of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). In 2023, the SNSF can propose two researchers to the JSPS.
- Research place: Japan
- Target group: Excellent Postdocs, University in Switzerland, all disciplines
- Number of fellowships: 2 Fellowships
- Duration: 12 until 24 months
- Start of fellowships: 1 July until 30 November 2023
- Deadline: 12 January 2023
The seventh edition of the SNSF Scientific Image Competition is now open for submissions. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) invites researchers in Switzerland or Liechtenstein to submit photographs and videos. The winning images will be exhibited at the Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography in May 2023.
- Target group: researchers, all disciplins
- Four competition catagories:
- object of study
- research locations and instruments
- women and men of science
- short videos - Production dates of the works: after 1 January 2022
- Deadline: 31 January 2023
The SOR4D programme invites researchers and development actors from policy and practice to collaborate in transnational and transdisciplinary consortia. It is a cooperation between the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the SNSF.
- Target groups: Professors (project leaders, cooperation consortia) in Switzerland, co-Applicants at an university of the global south, organisations in practical fields of the global south
- Disciplines: all, interdisciplinary
- Thematical fields: Sustainble economic growth, climate change and natural resources, health and education
- Project duration: 36 months
- Budget / project: CHF 500'000 up to CHF 1 Mio.
- Call date: 2 November 2022
- Deadline: 13 February 2023
- Evaluation: with two steps pre- and full-proposal
- Project start: March/May 2024
In the context of the Korean-Swiss Science and Technology Programme, the SNSF and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Korea launch another call for Joint Research Projects (JRPs). Joint Research Projects (JRPs) enable researchers in Switzerland to conduct a joint project together with a Korean partner.
- Target group: Postdocs/Professorships in Switzerland and South Korea (consortium)
- Themes:
- Climate change (interdisciplinary, SSH are possible)
- Digital Health (interdisciplinary, SSH are possible)
- Systems biology - Total budget: CHF 3 Mio.
- Number of projects: 12 projects / CHF 250'000
- Duration: 3 years
- Deadline: 15 February 2023
The SNSF instrument Spark aims to promote unconventional and original research ideas. Spark was very well received by researchers during the pilot phase in 2019 and 2020. Following the evaluation of the pilot phase, the SNSF is inviting tenders for Spark again, with an increased budget of CHF 27 million for 2023 (CHF 10 million each in 2019/2020). Spark is particularly suitable as an entry opportunity for a new and bigger research project and for the preparation of a research contribution in the form of an article.
- Promotion goals: unconventional research ideas and projects, based at an university in Switzerland
- Disciplines: all
- Target group: Postdocs and professors
- Project duration: 6-12 months
- Budget / project: CHF 50'000 up to 100'000 (salaries of applicants could be included!)
- Call: Beginning of 2023
- Deadline: Spring 2023 (tbd)
- Evaluation: anonymised with focus on the idea
Would you like a brief overview of the upcoming SNSF deadlines for all funding schemes to make sure that you do not miss anything?
See: Upcoming SNSF deadlines for all funding schemes
1. Postdoc
- Postdoc.Mobility: 1 February und 1 August
- SNSF Starting Grants: 1 February 2023
- Ambizione: 1 November
- SNSF Professorial Fellowship: 1 November until 1 February (Eccellenza + Prima)
2. Candoc
- Doc.CH: 15 March und 15 September
Due to the current political situation between Switzerland and the EU in the area of career funding, the SNSF is stepping in with a series of measures to compensate Swiss researchers for the closed access.
- Target group: Postdocs from all disciplines
Measures and funding instruments
- Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships (SPF)
- Call: 1 September 2022
- Deadline: 1 December 2022 - SNSF Starting Grants (ERC Starting Grant/SNSF Eccellenza Professorial Fellowship)
- SNSF Advanced Grants
- Pre-registration deadline : 1. October 2022
- Deadline: 2 November 2022
The following changes have been announced by the SNSF. Please do pay attention on the SNSF newsletters for further information.
- 1. Sinergia, from 2023 on
Sinergia will be integrated into the funding scheme of project funding with the deadlines of 1 April 2023 and 1 October 2023. - 2. Relaunch Spark, 2023
Spark did support unconventional ideas within a pilot phase (2019-2020) in the format of seed money. There is a relaunch planned in 2023 because of the success. - 3. New cv-format, project funding, deadline 1 October 2022
The SNSF introduce a new cv-format step by step, first ref. the project applications per 1 October 2022, later on for all funding schemes. The template is available already on the new SNSF portal via mySNF, which will substitute mySNF in the future.
The SNSF has made nine million Swiss francs available for measures at Swiss universities in connection with the war in Ukraine. This money has already been distributed. The SNSF and the Ukrainian research funder NRFU have signed an MoU allowing closer collaboration between researchers in Switzerland and in Ukraine. At the beginning of October 2022, the SNSF once again extended its support to Ukrainian researchers (status: 06.10.22).
As an addition to the Lead Agency within the project funding scheme, the SNSF signed an agreement with partner agencies abroad to simplify the submission of multi-lateral projects. Weave and Lead Agency offer the advantage to researchers to submit only a single submission to one national agencies instead of several proposals to different national agencies. This saves a lot of time and effort on all sides. After the inclusion of Sweden, there is an agreement with the USA and Israel in preparation.
Since October 2017, the SNSF has also required a DMP for most funding instruments when submitting applications, but this is not yet part of the evaluation. Its implementation will be described later in the final report. Depending on the discipline and the research project, the data used or collected Research data varies with specific requirements: qualitative and quantitative evaluations, interview data, files, statistics, written and pictorial sources, series of figures, etc. It is central to be aware from the beginning that the data have to be stored digitally in the long term. These are to be made available to science and the public, taking into account preservation, ethical and legal factors.
SNSF-Guidelines Data Managment Plan
Open Research Data Policy statement
We recommend that you take care of the DMP at an early stage when submitting your application. The University of Lucerne, in cooperation with the ZHB, provides know-how and a consulting service, especially regarding technical aspects, data processing and security as well as legal aspects concerning data protection and copyright.
Checklist for creating a DMP for the SNSF
Contact person ZHB: Dr. iur. Nadja Meyenhofer
Contact person Research Promotion Unit, University of Lucerne: Dr. phil. Bruno Z'Graggen
The SNSF set up the goal to make all the results available by Open Access 100% in the year 2020 which were worked out by SNSF supported projects. In order to rearch that goal, the SNSF decided mesures and new regulations which are valid since first of April 2018.
SNSF Open Access
The University of Lucerne supports Open Access. The Open Access-Policy is harmonised with the guidelines of swissuniversity, with the SNSF and the SAGW.
Open Access Guidelines University of Lucerne
- Open Access at the ZHB, overview (only in German)
- ZHB assistance Open Access: Dr. Simone Rosenkranz
External Calls
Swissuniversities announces within the frame of the national Open Research Strategy and the new funding programme "Swiss Open Research Data Grants" (2022-2024) three calls. The University of Lucerne, the prorectorate for research, the research promotion unit and the ZHB support the researchers referring matching funds, coordination and planification if needed.
- Track A: Development and exploration of new projects
- Goals: Support for development and exploration of new projects and prototyps inclusive tests.
- First call: End of June 2022
- Deadline: 1 August 2022
- Second call: 31 October 2022
- Deadline: 31 December 2022
- Project duration: max. 18 months
- Budget: max. CHF 150'000 incl. matching funds
More information
- Track B: Anchoring of existing projects
- Goals: Support for anchoring and development of existing ORD practices.
- Deadline pre-proposals: 1 July 2022
- Project duration: max. 24 months
- Budget: max. CHF 1,5 Mio. incl. matching funds
More information and call
- Track C: Contributions ref. existing projects and infrastructures
- Goals: Contributions to existing projects of open communities and integration into infrastructures built on ORD principles.
- First call: 1 Oktober 2022
- Deadline: 1 December 2022
- Second call: 2 June 2023
- Deadline: 2 August 2023
- Project duration: max. 12 months
- Budget: max. CHF 30'000 incl. matching funds
More information
The Istituto Svizzero in Italy (center in Rome) supports by its interdisciplinary residency programme young artists and researcher ref. studies, projects and exchange. The actual call for 2023 / 2024 offers the following residency options for Rome, Milan and Palermo.
- ROME
- Place of stay: Villa Maraini, Rome (Istituto Svizzero)
- Duration: 5-10 months
- Period: September 2023 until July 2024 - MILAN
- Place of stay: a flat in Milan
- Duration: ca. 6 months
- Period: October 2023 until April 2024 - PALERMO
- Place of stay: Palazzo Butera
- Duration: 3 months
- Period: September until December 2023 - Conditions for all
- Target group, researcher: Candocs and postdocs; humanities, social and natural sciences
- Age limit: 40 years
- Deadline: 16 January 2023
The Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS) supports research projects ref. International Studies.
- Disciplines: pluri-disciplinary, Social Sciences and Humanities
- General call: Research field on International Studies
- Special theme 2023: Multiple and interlocked threats to human - centered development: innovative approaches and governance mechanisms for prevention and mitigation
- Target group: Professorships / Postdocs (project leadership)
- Project duration: two years
- Project sum: between CHF 100'000 and 300'000
- Two steps evaluation with:
- Deadline pre-proposal: 25 January 2023 (Prolongation of one week)
- Deadline full-proposal: 15 May 2023
The Impact Collaboration Programme (ICP) is managed by the Geneva Science-Policy Interface and supported by the Swiss Confederation (Department of Foreign Affairs). The programme provides seed money for collaborative projects and initiatives with a science-policy gap in a global context relevant to global governance actors based in Geneva and links science and policy of international organisations.
- Target groups: Researchers, institutions, consortia
- Themes: International policy and organisations
- Contribution / project: CHF 60'000 ("seed money")
- Call: 7 November 2022
- Deadline: 12 February 2023
On behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), the University of Basel has a mandate as Leading House Africa for bilateral cooperation with partner institutions in Africa for the period 2021-2024. In this context, one call stays always open in the area of junior researcher funding:
- 1. Research Partnership Grant I
- Disciplines: including humanities and social sciences
- Target group: advanced doctoral students in their final year and postdocs with max. 2 years of postdoc experience
- Lead: Applicants from a Swiss university
- Partner countries in Africa: all except the Maghreb and Egypt
- Total budget: CHF 250'000
- Maximum amount per project: CHF 15'000
- Deadline: 26 November 2022
- Decision: 31 January 2023
- Earliest project start: 1 February 2023
More information
- 2. PhD programmes, Seasonal Schools (e.g. Summer School)
- Disciplines: humanities and social sciences among others
- Target group: Organisers of seasonal schools with doctoral students in Switzerland or abroad, min. 5 and max. 15 doctoral students in Africa with the exception of the Maghreb and Egypt
- Total budget: CHF 224'000
- Maximum amount per Seasonal School: CHF 60'000
- Duration of the Seasonal School: min. 1 week
- Deadline: 28 February 2023
- Decision: 28 April 2023
- Earliest project start: 8 May 2023
More information
ETH Zurich, as the Swiss Leading House Asia, and the NRF support the exchange of young researchers with a grant call for stays in the partner country.
- Grant: 3 months, living costs
- Target group: doctoral students and postdocs, Swiss university
- Disciplines: all
- Online event: 5 December 2022, 9:00 - 10:00
- Call: 9 January 2023
- Deadline: 31 March 2023
The Laura Bassi Scholarship by Editing Press supports publications on master, doctoral and postdoc level ("junior academics"):
- Target groups: master students, doctoral students, postdocs
- Contributions: master thesis $ 750, dissertations $ 2'500, articles $ 500 ("junior academics")
- Deadlines:
- 31 March 2023 (decision: 12 April 2023)
- 25 July 2023 (decision: 10 August 2023)
Horizon Europe & Support Euresearch
Horizon Europe runs and does support research in all areas. A total of EUR 95.5 billion stays available for this until 2027.
At the moment, Switzerland does have within Horizon Europe (2021-2027) a status as a third country state. The Federal Council’s stated aim remains Switzerland’s full association to Horizon Europe.
Under non-associated third country status, researchers and innovators in Switzerland are able to participate in most Horizon Europe collaboration projects. As such, around two-thirds of programmes are accessible, although they will not be funded by the European Commission, but by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
However, participation in individual projects will not be possible. These include the prestigious grants from the European Research Council (ERC), the European Innovation Council (EIC) and certain Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). Transitional measures which will be managed by the SNSF.
Transitional measures by the SNSF ref. Postdoc Grants
More information, SNSF measures
SERI: Ongoing updates ref. status of Switzerland
More information, Euresearch
Euresearch supports Swiss researchers referring Horizon Europe.
External Training
Presenting research projects and findings to a wider audience is an important task, and media diversity and communication requirements are high in the digital era.
The SNSF offers media courses to researchers. The courses are held by journalists and specialists from tv-medientrainer.ch in Olten. The offer is also aimed in particular at researchers who are funded by the SNSF. It contains courses from media training until the production of videos including such in English/French and for female researchers only.
Dates 2023
- Media training: 13.01., 11.02. (online); 17.06 (exclusifely for female researchers), 02.09. (in English); 29.10., 03.11. (in English), 10.11. (exclusifely for female researchers), 24.11.; 01.12.2023
- Intense text course: 17.11.2023
- Social media workshops: 10.02. / 31.12.2023 (!)
- Social video workshop: 17.03. + 18.03.2023