The Interdisciplinary Projects scheme will be integrated into the Sinergia programme. Sinergia will be re-positioned and new regulations will be issued in time for the next submission deadline on 1 June 2016.
New Sinergia Regulations (PDF, 100 MB)
Some of the changes to Sinergia are based on the new Funding Regulations, which will enter into force in January 2016.
New Funding Regulations (enters into force on 01.01.2016) (PDF, 264 KB)
The final submission deadline for the Interdisciplinary Project scheme is 1 October 2015; subsequently the scheme will be merged with Sinergia. The new conditions for the next Sinergia submission deadline in June 2016 will include:
Aim and scope
The SNSF will henceforth award Sinergia grants for projects that are both collaborative and interdisciplinary and that propose breakthrough research.
Submission deadlines
1 June and 1 December
Grant conditions
- duration of 1 to 4 years
- up to CHF 3.2 million, minimum of CHF 50,000
- no less than 2 and no more than 4 applicants, who will form the Sinergia consortium
- if there are 3 or more applicants, one applicant can be based abroad (2+1, 3+1)
Applicants
- 4 years since doctorate, or equivalent research experience
- guaranteed employment at a research institution for the duration of the research project
- adequate experience of the consortium as a whole in managing research projects
Restrictions
- only one Sinergia project per person and period, this includes co-applicants
- only one Sinergia application per applicant and deadline
- SNSF professors may submit a Sinergia application 2 years after starting their SNSF professorship at the earliest, Ambizione grantees are excluded for the duration of their grant
Project partners
- contribute to a research project through cooperation with the consortium without being responsible for the project
- benefit from the SNSF grant in the measure of the services they provide to the project
Research plan
a joint research plan describing the proposed research project, its interdisciplinarity, the distribution of the grant, and the collaboration between participants
Assessment criteria
- whether the project comprises breakthrough research with a high potential for shifting or invalidating existing paradigms
- ability of the applicants to successfully conduct breakthrough research as a consortium and the complementarity of their expertise and knowledge
- quality of interdisciplinary collaboration and adequacy of organisation in view of the joint research objectives
- adequacy of the requested budget
Important dates for researchers
- January 2016: publication of guidelines for Sinergia applicants and description of evaluation procedure on the website snf.ch
- 1 March 2016: launch of first call for new Sinergia programme
- 1 June 2016: first submission deadline for Sinergia proposals
Links
News
FAQ
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It will still be possible for applicants and their research groups to collaborate on Sinergia projects; however, only two to four applicants should be responsible for a Sinergia project.
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No, only one Sinergia project can be submitted per submission date and per person.
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No, unless the ongoing project ends before or only a few months after the new project is expected to start.
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Yes, a Sinergia proposal can be submitted at the same time as a project funding proposal.
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Yes, a Sinergia proposal can be submitted during the funding period of a project grant.
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No, it is not possible to submit any follow-up applications in the strict sense. Follow-up projects on the same topic must be submitted as new proposals.
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No, it is no longer possible to submit follow-up applications for interdisciplinary single projects. However, the continuation of interdisciplinary projects on the same topic can be submitted as a Sinergia application if at least two applicants collaborate on the project and the project meets the requirements set out in the Sinergia Regulations.
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Yes, if at least two applicants collaborate on the project and the project meets the requirements set out in the Sinergia Regulations.
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No, at least two applicants must be involved in a Sinergia project.
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For collaborative projects that are not interdisciplinary, you will have the option to apply within a certain frame for SNSF project funding (Divisions I-III) by the usual submission deadlines.
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Yes, if the other co-applicants have enough project management experience. The experience of the co-applicants must be appropriate to the size and complexity of the project - the bigger the project, the more experience is required.
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Yes, if you have a position at a higher education institution for the planned duration of the Sinergia project, or if you have received an written assurance to this effect. In addition, you have to meet the SNSF requirements with regard to research experience (4 years after the doctorate).
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Yes, Sinergia projects can include at most one research group based abroad if the Sinergia consortium consists of at least 3 applicants, and provided no researchers in Switzerland with similar expertise is available. Like the Swiss groups involved in the project, the group based abroad may receive a grant enabling it to carry out the research work necessary for the success of the Sinergia project.
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Yes, two research groups from the same institution can participate in a Sinergia project if they work in separate units and if the interdisciplinary nature of the project is guaranteed.
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Collaborative according to the SNSF means that the relevant research goals can only be achieved if two or more applicants combine their complementary expertise and knowledge in a new, joint research approach. The joint research goals should be set in such a manner that they can only be achieved through close collaboration. The planned collaboration must be described in the research plan.
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Breakthrough research according to the SNSF is distinguished by a high potential for shifting or invalidating paradigms. This type of research calls into question or goes beyond existing models, theories, doctrines, research approaches, methods, etc. It opens up new research fields and is often high-risk, high-reward.
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A maximum amount of CHF 3.2 million may be requested in a Sinergia application. The adequacy of the budget constitutes one of the evaluation criteria.
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The evaluation results of the Sinergia proposals submitted by 1 June are generally communicated at the end of November, those of the proposals submitted by 1 December at the end of May. The funding decision is communicated in the form of a letter. Two days after the letter is dispatched, the results will also be available on mySNF, including the external reviews.
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The DMP is an integral part of any Sinergia application. The SNSF platform for submitting proposals, mySNF, provides a specific section for writing a DMP. Applicants cannot submit an individually generated DMP.
Information about the standard contents of the DMP required by the SNSF can be found
here.