While the number of applications has declined by 7%, the requested funds have decreased by merely 3% year-on-year. The decline in submitted applications amounted to 9% in the humanities and social sciences as well as in biology and medicine. However, in both areas the requested funding is only marginally lower than in the previous year (3% and 4% respectively). This reflects a slight increase in the average duration of projects and in the funding amount requested per year in these areas.

In mathematics, the natural and the engineering sciences, the number of applications is merely 2% lower than in the previous year, with the requested funding declining by 4%. The SNSF will evaluate the submitted project proposals in the coming months and make the corresponding funding decisions by March 2013.