Application
Requirements
The following application requirements must be met:
- Completed doctorate, max. 5 years before the application deadline for the UniBE Initiator Grant (the exam/defence is the relevant date) or according to the requirements of the main career proposal (e.g. for an SNSF Starting Grant). Exceptions are possible in special cases, esp. for family obligations or due to the interruption of research work.
- Proof of scientific activity
- Existence of an independent research project that can be realized at the University of Bern and will be submitted in your own name.
- For a mobility grant, the motivation and the relevance for the further career plan must be explained.
Important: The maximum funding amount for the preparation of mobility grants is CHF 15 000.
The following conditions apply in terms of employment at the University of Bern:
- If the UniBE Initiator Grant is to be used for an application for project funding, then the researcher must have an employment contract at the University of Bern for the planned duration of the project. In addition, the researcher must have workspace and / or an employment contract at the University of Bern for the duration of the UniBE Initiator Grant.
- For an application for individual funding, the researcher must have workspace and / or an employment contract at the University of Bern for the duration of the UniBE Initiator Grant. In addition, the researcher must submit confirmation that the planned main application is, in principle, supported by the University of Bern.
- There are no requirements in this regard for applications for mobility grants.
These conditions in relation to employment and the support of the main application must be confirmed separately in writing at the time of submission by an institute or center of the University of Bern.
Proposal submission
The application, together with all the necessary documents, must be submitted online via our platform.
Please note that only applications submitted in this way can be considered.
The relevant link will be activated one month before the submission deadline.
Link to online submission
To complete the online form, you can refer to the Word document of the 2025 application form, which can be found further down this page.
Important:
The individual sections of the online form are limited to 2000 characters.
The online application must be completed in full in one session, with all documents uploaded. Please prepare all documents as PDF files before logging in.
Documents that must be submitted as PDF files:
1.) Letter of support from an institute of the University of Bern
2.) SciCV (according to SNSF specifications, including publications and ORCID),
3.) Master's and Doctoral degree certificates.
The form can also be completed in German.
Once your application has been received, you will receive confirmation and information about the date by which a decision can be expected.