The SNSF makes considerable contributions to promising research projects through its various funding programmes. Up to now, however, SNSF grants have not covered indirect research costs. Research institutions have had to fund costs, such as laboratory and office rents, themselves, in addition to many other infrastructure and operating costs incurred by research projects. With the overhead contributions approved by Parliament as part of the dispatch on the promotion of education, research and innovation (BFI communiqué 2008-2011), the SNSF is now also awarding overhead contributions for indirect research expenses to research institutions through eligible funding programmes as of 2009.

Introductory phase 2009-2011
Parliament has allocated a total of CHF 211 million for SNSF overhead contributions for the three-year introductory phase. Overhead contributions will be allocated to the entitled research institutions in graduated amounts: CHF 36.7 million in 2009, CHF 80.8 million in 2010 and CHF 93.5 million in 2011. Overhead support will increase from around 6% of the authorised grants initially, to around 18% in 2011.  It will be paid out for the first time towards the end of 2009, and calculated on the basis of the baseline grant from January to September 2009 in the first year. In subsequent years, the previous year’s grants will form the basis of the allocation, with payment in two instalments at the end of the first and third quarters. This solution was requested by the universities so they can take the overhead contributions into account in their annual budgeting.

Overhead Regulations stipulate details
The SNSF Overhead Regulations, approved in March by the Federal Council (see “On this subject”), are based on the federal research regulations (see “On this subject”) and stipulate the details, from eligibility to payment methods. The main points for researchers and research institutions can be summarised as follows:

• SNSF funding programmes eligible for overhead contribution:

- All independent research projects including interdisciplinary/interdivisionary projects
- Long-term Department I projects (social sciences and humanities)
- Sinergia
- Projects within the framework of ERA-Nets and EuroCores
- DORE projects
- SNSF professorships
- ProDoc; Ambizione
- SCORE/PROSPER
- Marie Heim-Vögtlin
- National Research Programme (NRP) projects

• Grant recipients are notified of eligibility for overhead contribution at the time of acceptance
• The overhead contribution beneficiary is the research institution (not the researchers themselves)
• The research institution as a whole is entitled to the contribution, not individual institutes, departments etc.
• The research institution can use the overhead contribution at its own discretion, in line with the aim of the overhead contribution, i.e. for indirect research expenses
• The overhead contribution is limited to a maximum of 20% of the relevant SNSF grants

Strengthening competitively funded research
By partially compensating the indirect research expenses incurred by research institutions through granting overhead support, the federal government aims to place greater emphasis on competitively funded research in Switzerland. The overhead contribution is designed as an additional incentive to obtain SNSF funding which should strengthen research at Swiss universities in the long term.