Up to now, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has only funded direct research expenses in its project support; indirect expenses for infrastructure, maintenance and administration have had to be borne by the institutions where research projects were being conducted. In the autumn of 2008, the Federal Council changed the research regulations, thus forming the basis for the introduction of the overhead programme. Through this, it aims to place greater emphasis on competitively funded research in Switzerland and to strengthen research at Swiss universities long term. From 2009 onwards, the SNSF can cover some of the indirect research expenses for funding programmes eligible for overhead contributions.
Introduction of overhead: a simple but effective model
The SNSF's progress report on the overhead introduction phase shows that the simple implementation model has proven effective, although the medium-term target of a contribution rate of 20% has not yet been reached. According to a survey, the rectors of institutions of higher education generally use the overhead contributions for their research and administration infrastructure.
SNSF Overhead Regulations approved by Federal Council
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) introduced overhead contributions to fund a portion of the indirect research expenses incurred by research institutions for SNSF-approved projects as of this year. The SNSF Overhead Regulations were approved by the Federal Council in March 2009. Thus, definitive SNSF guidelines for introducing overhead contributions have been established.
Overhead FAQs
Questions and answers about SNSF overhead contributions for researchers and research institutions.