Postdoc Grant: an update on the reform of career funding

The SNSF will launch a new career funding scheme for postdoctoral researchers in 2028. Known as the Postdoc Grant, this scheme will replace both Ambizione (final submission deadline in November 2026) and Postdoc.Mobility (final submission deadline in August 2027). Its key characteristics are now available.

A grant based in Switzerland

Grantees will be employed by a host institution in Switzerland. This must be a different institution from the one that awarded the candidate’s doctoral degree (or equivalent qualification).

Throughout the duration of the grant, grantees will be encouraged to develop a network of national and international collaborations in order to broaden their expertise. They will have the option of undertaking stays abroad on a flexible basis (e.g. one long stay or several short stays). Alongside developing their academic profile, grantees will be able to undertake continuing education to broaden their professional skills beyond their own discipline.

Within the host institution, a senior researcher will act as the contact person and welcome the grantee into their research group. A mentor will also support their career development.

Salaries and project costs

The funding will cover the grantee’s salary, including social security contributions, for a period of up to four years. It will also include project costs up to a maximum of 100,000 Swiss francs. In addition, grant recipients can apply for funding to cover continuing education costs up to 10,000 Swiss francs.

Grantees will be employed at a work-time percentage between 80 percent and 100 percent and must devote at least 80 percent of their working hours directly to the funded research project.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants must hold a PhD or have a confirmed date to defend their thesis within three months of submitting their application. Those who do not have a doctorate must have a comparable qualification. For researchers with a dual competence profile (for example, in clinical research), the equivalent qualification will be determined on the basis of their research and professional activities, as well as their formal training in the relevant field of research.

Furthermore, applicants must be able to provide evidence of at least one original research output that has undergone a recognised quality assurance process (such as peer review or review by an editorial board).

The Postdoc Grant will correspond to career stage R2 in accordance with the European Framework for Research Careers. Applicants must therefore not have already progressed beyond the initial phase of their postdoctoral research. As a benchmark, this phase should generally not take more than two years of full-time work.

A link with Switzerland will also be required: Swiss nationality, a higher education qualification (master’s, PhD) or one year’s research work following the award of a doctorate.

Better working conditions for early-career researchers

The detailed regulations for the Postdoc Grant are currently being finalised. They are due to be published by early 2027. Transitional measures regarding candidates’ eligibility during the transition from the old funding schemes to the new ones will be announced at the same time. The first call is scheduled for early 2028.

"With the Postdoc Grant, we are stepping up our support for early-career researchers," emphasises Torsten Schwede, President of the SNSF Research Council. "This new scheme will provide them with the best possible framework for their project and for their future careers. It will reflect the diversity of scientific career paths and ensure a high degree of flexibility and autonomy."