Lighting a spark

The Spark pilot scheme launched by the SNSF finances unconventional projects that run for a maximum of twelve months. It is the originality of the idea that counts. How experienced the researchers are or how often they have published is of secondary importance.

757 applications were submitted in response to the first call in summer 2019. Most of the 950 researchers involved in the projects were under 40. Roughly three out of four had never applied for an SNSF grant before. “With Spark, we are primarily reaching out to young researchers and new applicants,” says Director Angelika Kalt. “This is in line with our goal to promote diversity in research.” In November 2019, the SNSF awarded 27 million francs for 284 projects, 17 million more than originally planned.