SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024: 72 approved projects

Of the 738 applications evaluated for the SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024, the SNSF has decided to support 72 with a total of 17.8 million Swiss francs.

This year, the success rate is 9.8%. This low figure can be explained by the large number of applications that the SNSF received for this call and the available budget.

In each research domain, a panel of mainly international experts was tasked with evaluating the submitted projects. 30 projects were selected in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology. 25 projects were approved in life sciences. And in the social sciences and humanities, which received fewer applications, 17 projects were awarded funding.

Nearly 57% of the funds are going to researchers at universities, while 39% is allocated to the ETH Domain and 4% to other institutions.

Last call for proposals

Due to Switzerland's status as a non-associated third country in Horizon Europe, the Swiss Confederation mandated the SNSF to launch this call as part of the transitional measures. It was aimed at early-career researchers who wanted to apply for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship (MSCA PF) and secure a position at a non-profit research institution in Switzerland for 12 to 24 months.

Since the beginning of 2025, researchers have been able to apply for Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships to conduct research in Switzerland. The SNSF will therefore not be launching a new SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships call.

Examples of funded projects

Social sciences and humanities

Every stroke victim has a different profile of language impairment and recovery. This makes it difficult to identify which language abilities are impaired and which are still functioning in each individual. This is particularly true for people with severe aphasia. With her project, researcher Laura Giglio (University of Geneva) aims to decode their brain activity using electroencephalography. The study will help to identify which linguistic abilities are affected independently of speech output and to develop targeted treatments for each patient.

Mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology

Researcher Francis Meloche (ETHZ) intends to investigate how cracks in snow layers spread and are stopped – a key factor in understanding snow slab avalanches. Using realistic 3D simulations and field experiments, he aims to explore how snow heterogeneity, terrain features and obstacles such as trees or protective structures can limit the spread of cracks. The aim is to improve hazard mapping and develop natural, cost-effective protective measures.

Life sciences

In most people who have suffered a spinal cord injury, the cervical vertebrae are affected, resulting in tetraplegia. Their priority is therefore to regain the function of their upper limbs. The EPFL lab that will host researcher Jan Elaine Soriano has already been working on a targeted cellular repair strategy to restore walking after a complete spinal cord injury. She hopes to apply the same method to restore hand function after cervical injury.