SNSF Starting Grant (StG)

Link to Switzerland

Applicants must either hold Swiss nationality or a degree from a Swiss institution, or have carried out research at a Swiss institution for at least two years with an average of at least 80% working time.

Current position

Researchers are not eligible to apply if they already hold a position that allows them to lead a research project and team AND have already received significant third-party funding (excl. Ambizione).

Time window

Eligibility is based on the date of 1 February 2026. To be eligible, applicants need to have one of the following qualifications and fulfil the time requirement:

• Have a PhD and 2-8 years of research experience after the PhD defence.
• Have an MD (state exam or equivalent), be within 12 years of the MD, and have a min. of 3 years of clinical work and 2 years of research experience.
• Have a qualification equivalent to a PhD, i.e., 3 years of research activity after a higher education degree, and have 2-8 years of research experience after the qualification equivalent to a PhD.

Extended eligibility conditions

The eligibility window can be extended under the following circumstances (full-time or part-time leave possible):

• Maternity
  Extension of 18 months per child born before or after the PhD, or by the documented amount of maternity leave if longer than 18 months.
• Paternity, adoption or parental leave
  Extension by the documented amount per child before or after the PhD.
• Inability to work due to illness or accident
• Care duties (e.g., taking care of close relatives)
• Services that benefit the general public, particularly military or civilian service
• Continuing education in connection with the applicant’s research activities, particularly internships or clinical work

Important dates for the SNSF StG 2026 call:

Proposals are submitted online on the SNSF Portal. If you do not already have a user account, you will need to register for one (see SNSF instructions). You should aim to register no later than one month before the deadline.

Access to the SNSF Portal also requires a Switch edu-ID. If you do not yet have one and are at UniBE, please see the information here.

Applicants need to compile their CV according to the template on the SNSF Portal. The narrative sections on major achievements are intended to help evaluators assess the scientific quality and relevance of your research output.

You will need to link your SNSF CV to your ORCID profile. We recommend regularly updating your ORCID profile throughout the evaluation process, as reviewers may consult it when assessing your proposal.

For more details on the SNSF CV format see here.

Note: Indirect costs (i.e., overhead) of 15% are not included in the budget. According to the University of Bern overhead rules, overhead funds are not passed on to PIs in SNSF grants (an exception previously applied to the Horizon Europe Transitional Measures).

Salary of applicant (if requested)

The University of Bern salary bracket for SNSF Starting Grant applicants is 25/24 (Gehaltsklasse 25/Gehaltsstufe 24-32). Budget your salary at 100%.

Y1        CHF 145’584
Y2        CHF 147’359
Y3        CHF 149’134
Y4        CHF 150’910
Y5        CHF 152’685

Rounded average annual salary over 5 years: CHF 150'000

Note: This is an annual gross salary excluding social security contributions (see below).

Salaries of team members

Note: The SNSF Portal asks you to indicate average annual salaries over the duration of the employment. If you have any questions regarding the average salaries, contact the Grants Office. Mandatory social security contributions will be added automatically by the SNSF Portal.

PhD students

Y1        CHF 50’042
Y2        CHF 51’626
Y3        CHF 53’264
Y4        CHF 53'264

Recommended average annual salary over 4 years: CHF 53'000

Note: The max. length of employment for a PhD student funded by the SNSF is 4 years.

Postdoctoral researchers

According to the Postdoc Regulations of the University of Bern, postdocs should be employed at a minimum of 80%, or, in particular individual circumstances, at least 50%. The following salary rates should be used for postdoc positions (annual gross salaries excluding social security contributions at 100%):

Early Postdoc
Y1        CHF 91’216
Y2        CHF 93’243
Y3        CHF 103’378 (promotion to AP)
Y4        CHF 105'743
Y5        CHF 108'108

Recommended average annual salary over 5 years: CHF 101'000

Advanced Postdoc
Y1        CHF 103’378
Y2        CHF 105’743
Y3        CHF 108'108
Y4        CHF 108'108
Y5        CHF 108'108

Recommended average annual salary over 5 years: CHF 108'000

Note: If you are budgeting a postdoc who was already employed at the University of Bern before, use the actual salary rates of the postdoc.

Student assistants

The annual gross salary (excluding social contributions) for a student assistant with a bachelor’s degree is currently CHF 31’516 (GK12/GS0, 50% employment).

Social contributions

The University of Bern's (employer) social security contributions are 15%. They are added on top of the salaries and included in the total maximum budget. The SNSF Portal will automatically calculate the amounts for you.

Other social contributions: There are two kinds of child allowances in the Canton of Bern:

1. Betreuungszulage / Care allowance – This allowance can be requested separately from the SNSF during the project duration or after the end of the project.
2. Kinderzulage / Child allowance – This allowance will be paid by the “Ausgleichskasse” and therefore you do not need to request this money from the SNSF.
    

For further information on salary ranges for researchers in qualification positions, please see this document from the University of Bern's Human Resources Office:

Travel and workshop costs

The SNSF document How to draw up my "Travel and subsistence costs" budget? can help you to estimate research and conference travel costs for yourself and your team members, as well as for incoming guests you invite to workshops, conferences or lectures. The document specifies maximum amounts for travel costs for different regions, the daily subsistence allowance and guidelines for budgeting childcare costs during trips/workshops.

To make the calculation transparent, it is recommended to enter it in the corresponding comment field in the SNSF Portal.
Example: conference travel for 1 researcher to the USA (West) - CHF 1500 (round trip) + CHF 200 (food/accomodation) x 7 days = CHF 2900

UniBE Core Facilities

If you are budgeting the services of UniBE Core Facilities, please contact the facility before submission for their upcoming rates. These may be different from the current rates publicized on their website.

The mandatory University of Bern template for the commitment letter from your chosen institute/department is currently being updated. It will be available here soon.

Last update: 02.02.2026

Confirmation of the higher education institution

A confirmation letter from the University of Bern signed by the Vice-Rector for Research and Innnovation must be uploaded with your application. With this letter, the University of Bern confirms that the applicant will receive at least the title of Assistant Professor (without tenure-track) for the duration of the SNSF StG. The letter is prepared by the Grants Office and signed by the Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation.

The Grants Office will send you this letter to upload to the SNSF Portal once we have received the commitment letter from your chosen institute/department (see below).

Commitment of your institute/department

In order for the Grants Office to send you the confirmation of the higher education institution, you must provide us with a commitment letter from your chosen institute/department. With this letter, the head of the institute/department commits to supporting your project if you are successful. This letter is for internal purposes only and is NOT uploaded with your application.

For resources, guidance and advice on open access publications and research data, your contact is the University of Bern’s Open Science Team. They offer a range of training workshops and support services, including help preparing data management plans (DMPs).

Publication costs cannot be included in the budget of research grant applications. Funding for open-access articles and books can be requested separately during the course of the project. For details and conditions, see the SNSF webpages on APCs and BPCs, as well as the recent update on restrictions to funding conditions. SNSF grantees must ensure open access to all scientific publications resulting from their funded research.

The necessary funding for open research data (if applicable) must already be included in the grant application. For further information on SNSF policy, please consult the SNSF webpage. A DMP will be required for approved grants.

The Grants Office cannot provide sample proposals. We recommend that you contact successful applicants directly and ask them to share their strategies and experiences. A list of SNSF StG projects can be found on the SNSF Data Portal.

Please note that the format of proposals and the evaluation criteria used in previous calls differed in several respects from those applied in the current call. For details, please contact the Grants Office. 

If you have any questions, please consult the FAQ tab on the SNSF Starting Grant or contact the Grants Office.