Joint projects with the Czech Republic
Simplified submission process: the SNSF has signed a Lead Agency agreement with the Czech funding organisation (GACR).
The Lead Agency process allows researchers in Switzerland and the Czech Republic to submit a joint research proposal to one of the two national funding organisations. The applications must have a joint research question and a joint research plan. The parts of the project carried out in the individual countries must not be independent projects and cannot be conducted separately.
Part of project funding
The Lead Agency process forms part of the SNSF's project funding scheme. There is no additional budget for such applications and they are governed by the same provisions as project funding proposals. Hence researchers may only submit a Lead Agency application if there are no thematic overlaps with applications being evaluated at the SNSF or with ongoing projects.
Submissions until 1 April 2020
The SNSF and the GACR have agreed to take turns as the Lead Agency on a yearly basis. The submission process is governed by the provisions in force at the relevant organisation. Costs are calculated on the basis of the relevant national guidelines. In 2020, the SNSF will assume the role of Lead Agency; the submission deadline is 1 April.
The Czech Republic is the eighth country with which the SNSF has signed a Lead Agency agreement. The other countries are Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovenia.