The following agreements, of which SNSF is part, aim at facilitating mobility within Europe and joint research projects with specific countries.
For the whole of Europe: Money Follows Researcher
For researchers who move abroad, it is possible to make a request for ongoing SNSF funding to continue. The project can either continue in Switzerland while being managed from abroad or transferred to the new location.
Agreements are in place for this with most European countries. Continuation of the project is basically even possible in countries beyond Europe.
The SNSF decides on a case-by-case basis on how the funding may be used (i.e. in Switzerland or transferred abroad, budget positions, duration etc.) A detailed and well-argumented application should be submitted as early as possible to the responsible department of the SNSF.
With Germany and Austria: Money Follows Co-operation Line
With the aim of simplifying the evaluation of transnational projects with German and Austrian partners, the SNSF, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) have concluded an agreement called "Money Follows Co-operation Line Process".
Projects clearly focused in Switzerland with only a very small part in Austria or/and Germany may be submitted to the SNSF through this Process. If the project is funded, the SNSF will also pay for the foreign segment (research costs exclusive of overheads and customary local salary costs). The foreign segment has to be essential for the successful completion of the project. The same rule applies in reverse for smaller Swiss project segments within Austrian or German projects; these are to be funded by the FWF or DFG.
The Money Follows Co-operation Line instrument is only used in very few exceptional cases (e.g. if the project part abroad is extremely small). Usually, this type of collaboration is funded via the Lead Agency instrument (see information below).
The responsible division must be contacted before submitting an application in the Money Follows Co-operation Line Process.
The incorporation of international research teams in Swiss projects can also be funded via the Sinergia programme.
For more information about this instrument, please click on the corresponding link below.
With Germany, Austria and Luxembourg: Lead Agency Process
Also with the aim of simplifying the evaluation of transnational projects, the SNSF has signed two "Lead Agency Agreements". The first is a trilateral agreement with the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). The second, bilateral, agreement was signed with the Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg (FNR).
The agreements allow for researchers from two (or three in the case of agreement between SNSF, DFG and FWF) countries to submit a common proposal to only one of the funding agencies. The researchers are requested to submit the proposal to the funding agency that, in case of approval, will fund the larger part of the project. The "Lead Agency" evaluates the whole proposal independently. In case of a positive outcome, the Lead Agency will fund the researchers based in its countries. The other agency/agencies will recognise the outcome of the evaluation and, in case of a positive result, will fund the project partners in its country/in their countries.
According to the Lead Agency Agreement, the project parts carried out in the individual countries must be interdependent and complementary. The Lead Agency proposals must have a joint research question and a joint research plan.
The Lead Agency-proposals are evaluated together with all-Swiss proposals. There is no additional budget earmarked for Lead Agency projects. Lead Agency proposals must not have any thematic overlaps with other proposals submitted to the SNSF or with already funded projects.
For researchers in the areas of Mathematics, Natural and Engineering Sciences and Biology and Medicine: The responsible division (II or III) must be contacted before submitting an application in the Lead Agency Process.
Please note that due to the coordination with the partner organisation(s) the evaluation usually takes longer than the evaluation of regular projects.
For more information about this instrument, please click on the corresponding link below.