Ambizione: a boost for research careers

The SNSF has been supporting promising early-career researchers from Switzerland and abroad through the Ambizione funding scheme since 2008. Academic staff at all higher education institutions can apply. Researchers whose salaries are fully covered by their institution may apply for project funds only.

Evaluation

In November 2024, 603 researchers submitted an Ambizione application. Of these applicants, 188 were selected for the second phase of evaluation. Following the two-step evaluation process, the SNSF is awarding 92 grants and distributing a total of 76.4 million francs. The target of 35 percent female awardees was clearly exceeded with 46 grants (50 percent) going to women. Of the 46 female researchers supported, 9 are funded by the supplementary budget of 8.2 million francs earmarked for excellent female candidates.

Thanks to their Ambizione grants, each of the 92 researchers will be able to conduct, manage and lead their first independent project at a higher education institution or other research institution in Switzerland. On average, they will receive 830,000 Swiss francs. The SNSF is providing them with the opportunity to advance their careers decisively while also making an important contribution to the promotion of early-career researchers.

Wide range of research topics

Of the selected projects, 37 percent are in the fields of mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology, 33 percent in the social sciences and humanities and 30 percent in life sciences. The topics funded are correspondingly diverse, as illustrated by the following examples.

• Kunfeng Gao (Empa) will examine the atmospheric aging and in-cloud scavenging processes of micro- and nano-sized plastic particles.
• Delia Zollinger (University of Zurich) will look at how the main beneficiaries of the modern knowledge society perceive and politically interpret their own social development.
• Gea Cereghetti (Università della Svizzera italiana) will investigate the roles and regulation of protein phase separation in immune responses and ageing.

Most of the projects will begin in autumn 2025 and generally have a duration of four years.

The next Ambizione call is already open. The submission deadline for new proposals is 4 November 2025.