Glühbirne

Here you will find open calls for the UniBE funding schemes as well as selected external calls. The external calls were chosen by the Vice-Rectorate Research and Innovation for their broad relevance to University of Bern researchers.

Research funding databases with a comprehensive range of opportunities for different funding needs can be found here.

Highlight – Deadline: 16 February 2026

"Open Round" to Support Postdocs

CHF 5,000-20,000 for activities and measures that support postdoctoral researchers in innovative ways.

Deadline: 3 February 2026

SNF Postdoc.Mobility

Flat-rate fellowships for 12-24 months for researchers with a doctorate to complete a postdoctoral research stay abroad.

Deadline: 16 February 2026

"Open Round" to Support Postdocs

CHF 5,000-20,000 for activities and measures that support postdoctoral researchers in innovative ways.

Deadline: 19 February 2026

Initiator Grant

CHF 30,000 for early career researchers post PhD to prepare an application for third-party funding.

Deadline: 1 March 2026

UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs

CHF 7,000-8,000 for PhD students and postdocs as well as senior research assistants to undertake a research stay abroad of 2-8 weeks.

Deadline: 2 March 2026

UniBE Doc.Mobility

Financing for PhD students who are not funded through the SNSF to undertake a 6-12 month research stay abroad.

Deadline: 5 May 2026

SNSF Starting Grant

CHF 1 million (+ salary) for researchers with 2-8 years of research experience after PhD to lead a project with their own team for 5 years.

Deadline: 6 March 2026

Leading House Latin America – Early Career Grant

CHF 7,000 for postdocs and PhD candidates for a three-month research stay in Latin America, without having to be part of a team or a research group.

Deadline: 8 March 2026

Leading House Asia Pacific – Future Leaders Exchange

CHF 20,000 for PhD mobility and lab exchanges of 2 weeks to 6 months between universities in Switzerland and the Asia-Pacific.

Deadline: 23 April 2026

Promotion Fund

CHF 5,000 for networking activities (e.g., seminars, conferences, workshops, internet platforms, peer mentoring, continuing education measures) organized by mid-level faculty from doctoral level.

Deadline: 18 March 2026

Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D)

CHF 750,000-1,000,000 for transdisciplinary projects with solution-oriented approaches that contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and reducing poverty.

Deadline: various dates

Horizon Europe

Large multinational projects with at least 3 partners from at least 3 EU Member States or Associated Countries on predefined topics that deal with global challenges.

Deadline: various dates

European Partnerships – transnational projects

Projects in the areas of biodiversity, urban transformation, clean energy, secure water supply, transforming healthcare systems, rare diseases, and One Health and antibiotic resistance.

Deadline: continuous, in advance

Seed Money

Up to CHF 10,000 to cover costs arising from the preparation of Horizon Europe collaborative project applications in which the University of Bern plays a substantial role (equivalent to coordination).

Deadline: 30 June 2025

Investment Fund for Cost-Intensive Equipment for Research

Co-financing for the acquisition of equipment worth more than CHF 500,000 that primarily serves a research purpose.

Further funding opportunities for your innovation projects can be found on the Funding and Competitions page of the University of Bern's Innovation Guide.

Deadline: 15 February 2026

Peter Bopp Stiftung Implementation Grants

CHF 100,000–300,000 for research projects with TRL 3-4 that focus on new materials and processes in high-impact fields, preferably carried out by early-career researchers.

Deadline: 24 February 2026

CSL Research Acceleration Initiative

$400,000 for partnerships between CSL and research organizations and companies to advance the discovery of innovative biotherapies.

Deadline: 25 February 2026

Venture Competition

CHF 10,000-100,000 and support for individuals and teams at any start-up stage.

Deadline: 26 February 2026

EIC Advanced Innovation Challenge

EUR 300,000 (Stage 1) and EUR 2.5 million (Stage 2) to support high-risk, deep technological innovations with transformative potential.

Deadline: 8 March 2026

Leading House Asia Pacific – Innovation Partnership Grant

CHF 20,000 for academic start-ups in the Asia-Pacific region to connect with the Swiss innovation ecosystem through PhD mobility from 2 weeks to 6 months.