SNSF Consolidator Grants 2023: 19 projects approved
The SNSF will award 35.4 million francs to projects selected under the SNSF Consolidator Grants 2023 transitional measure.
Of the 205 applications evaluated as part of the SNSF Consolidator Grants 2023, the SNSF has selected 19 projects. They will receive a total of 35.4 million francs over five years.
The SNSF launched the SNSF Consolidator Grants 2023 transitional measure on behalf of the Swiss Confederation, as Switzerland has non-associated third country status in the Horizon Europe framework programme. This measure was aimed at scientists wishing to conduct their research in Switzerland and to consolidate their scientific independence.
The overall success rate is around 9.3%. In mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology, seven projects (9.1%) will be supported. In life sciences, five projects (9.4%) were selected. And in the social sciences and humanities, seven projects (9.3%) will receive funding. Of the 19 successful projects, female researchers will lead six.
Researchers at universities are receiving almost 69% of the funding. 26% has been awarded to the ETH Domain and 5% to other institutions.
The call for SNSF Consolidator Grants 2023 was the last for this funding scheme of the transitional measures.
Examples of funded projects
Life sciences
Biodiversity is particularly high in mountainous areas. Some small regions have an exceptional number of endemic species. Tectonic processes are expected to create new habitats in which species can settle, and above all to fragment habitats, encouraging geographical speciation. As part of his project, Loïc Pellissier (ETHZ & WSL) will map plant species on a global scale and identify areas of high endemism and their links with tectonic processes. By using environmental genetic tools in multiple regions, he aims to better understand how landscape changes over geological timescales promote the evolution of species.
Social sciences and humanities
Elisa Fornalé (University of St. Gallen) wants to reimagine the role of international law in the field of climate migration. She has observed that international legal systems have not evolved sufficiently to meet the challenges of new mobility patterns. Her project will be based mainly on a disaster that occurred in the 1930s in the United States: the Dust Bowl, a series of dust storms that drove millions from their homes.
Mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology
What effect is climate change having on the genetic diversity and adaptive potential of four tree species in European mountain forests? This is what interests Christoph Schwörer (University of Bern). The aim of his research is to mitigate the negative effects of future climate change in mountain ecosystems. To this end, he will also sequence ancient genomes from tree populations across Europe and compare them to those of current populations.