In 2017, the Administrative Offices of the SNSF asked 23,761 external experts to review an application and referred to a total of 8,802 reviews for evaluation purposes. For 6,041 applications, it conducted the evaluation procedure single-handedly from start to finish. Most of this work was done on the mySNF online platform: researchers use it to submit their grant applications, experts to write their reviews, and the Research Council and evaluation commissions to assess the submitted applications.
In spite of mySNF, communicating in person is essential to the evaluation procedure. The Research Council and the evaluation commissions discuss applications during meetings held in Bern. And researchers applying for a career grant come to the SNSF for an interview, during which they present their research project. The Administrative Offices organise all meetings and interviews (2017: 400), take minutes and inform the applicants about the outcome of the evaluation.
Projects are funded for several years, during which time the Administrative Offices check the scientific and financial reports submitted by the researchers and process personnel changes in their projects, change requests and other messages. In 2017, the Administrative Offices processed around 18,000 reports and messages – most of them using mySNF.
Another important task is to develop research funding in close collaboration with the Research Council. In 2017, the Administrative Offices created new career funding schemes and introduced the open data principle. Moreover, they liaise regularly with organisations involved in research funding and policymaking in Switzerland and abroad.
Effective communication also lies within the remit of the Administrative Offices. On the one hand, it informs the research community about calls for proposals and new funding schemes. On the other hand, it communicates with the political authorities and the public, explaining how the SNSF uses government funds and presenting the results of funded research projects.
In addition, the Administrative Offices maintain the P3 research database, which contains all ongoing and completed projects funded by the SNSF. In 2017, over 100,000 people consulted P3.