USA
The following USA National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorates are currently participating in the Lead Agency procedure and only projects supported by these Directorates can be submitted:
- Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO)
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB)
- Integrative Organismal Systems (IOS)
- Environmental Biology (DEB) - Directorate for Geological Sciences (GEO)
- Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)
- Astronomical Sciences (AST)
- Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS)
- Division of Physics (PHY) - Directorate for Engineering (ENG)
- Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE)
- Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences (BCS)
- Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES)
Expression of interest
The SNSF and the NSF have agreed on a two-stage procedure. At least 60 calendar days in advance of the date the applicants intend to submit a full proposal, the US applicants are required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) to the NSF describing the entire project, regardless of whether the lead lies with the SNSF or the NSF. Additional information on the requirements for this EOI will be posted on the NSF's corresponding website. Based on the EOI, the NSF checks the eligibility of the applicants. After approval by the NSF, the full proposal can be submitted to the Lead Agency. The full proposal should be submitted within 12 months of the EOI being approved. This procedure also applies if the application is evaluated by the SNSF, and the SNSF will not consider applications without an NSF-approved EOI.
Broader impact
All proposals should address both intellectual merit and the broader economic/societal impacts or relevance of the proposed research. On mySNF, the application must be declared as use-inspired and the broader impact described in the research plan.
Submission
The SNSF and the NSF will alternate as the Lead Agency on a yearly basis. In 2024, the submission will be made to NSF and applications can be submitted from 1 April 2024. The submission deadlines for the participating programmes will be published on the website.
Before submission
- The applicants need to meet the participation requirements and eligibility criteria defined by the SNSF and the NSF.
- The research plan must conform with the guidelines issued by the Lead Agency; it can be submitted unchanged to the partner organisations. At the SNSF: seven days after submission to the NSF; and at the NSF: after approval of the project for funding.
- All other data and information must be in line with the guidelines of the funding agencies involved.
- Costs are calculated on the basis of the relevant national guidelines.
- Applications must be submitted in English.
- In both countries, the maximum project duration is 48 months, or as specified in the NSF programme. The project must start on the same date and have the same duration in both countries.
SNSF as Lead Agency
- If the SNSF is the Lead Agency, applications must be submitted to the SNSF in the calls for project funding (deadlines: 1 April and 1 October). Applicants cannot simultaneously submit any further SNSF project funding applications.
- Submit the expression of interest to the NSF by 31 January for the submission deadline of 1 April or by 2 August for the submission deadline of 1 October.
- Please enter the applicants based in the USA as co-applicants.
- Declare the application as use-inspired and describe the broader impact in the research plan.
- Enter the budget of the Swiss subproject in the in the section “Budget". For the total project budget, fill in the budget form and upload it.
- CVs of all persons registered as applicants must be submitted according to SNSF guidelines.
- The applicants based in the USA need to submit the proposal to the NSF after the project has been accepted for funding.
NSF as Lead Agency
- The deadline of the NSF is decisive for the submission.
- For administrative reasons, the application must be submitted via the mySNF platform no later than seven days after submission to the NSF.
- Lead Agency applications can be submitted in the SNSF's project funding scheme at any time.
- Please enter the applicants based in the USA as “other applicant”.
- Enter the budget of the Swiss subproject in the data container "Requested funding". For the total project budget, fill in the budget form and upload it.
- The CVs of the Swiss applicants need to meet SNSF guidelines; it is not necessary to submit the CVs and research outputs of the US applicants.
- If the application is submitted to the NSF a copy must be submitted to the SNSF via mySNF within seven days.
Documents and links