International activities

Scientific research builds on the exchange of ideas and practices beyond national borders. Public funding limits research to a national dimension that can be a constraint on the freedom of researchers. Therefore, the SNSF supports international cooperation and the removal of research obstacles in order to facilitate mobility and the exchange of ideas and practices beyond the borders of Switzerland.

The changes in project funding have created new mechanisms for funding international collaborations. As of October 2016, researchers can apply for networking costs when submitting a project funding proposal to the SNSF. Fundable costs include travel expenses, costs for conferences and workshops as well as research costs generated by project partners.

Switzerland is located at the heart of Europe and, apart from some partnerships in the US, Canada and Australia, the majority of international collaborations are with European partners.

In 2015, the SNSF launched the first call for the Promotion of Young Scientists in Eastern Europe (PROMYS) and, with its partner organisation in Croatia, started to prepare a call for joint research projects in the context of the EU enlargement contribution. In addition, the SNSF embarked on exploratory discussions with Belgium for an agreement to facilitate cross-border research between the two countries. This would be the fifth cross-border agreement of its kind.

For many years, the SNSF has been participating in European bodies and organisations to create the best conditions for researchers. A key member of Science Europe and its working groups (e.g. cross-border collaboration, Horizon 2020), it also took part in a public consultation on the ex-post evaluation of the 7th framework programme (FP7) of the European Commission in 2015.

Bilateral agreements with partner organisations cannot replace direct access to European research programmes. For this reason, Swiss politics muss strive to secure full association with the European framework programme Horizon 2020. This programme complements national research funding as offered by the SNSF and the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI). The opportunities to participate in European schemes and establish international collaborations add to the appeal of doing research in Switzerland. When fully associated, Switzerland will be able to participate in shaping European research policies. This will include contributing to the thematic definition of programmes as well as engaging in fundamental discussions, such as the debate about open science.