1. Portrait
Swiss National Science Foundation
Gillian Olivieri, Division for International Co-operation

2. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
The institution

3. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
The SNSF
• supports competitive basic science in all academic
disciplines
• was founded in 1952, under private law
• mandated by the federal governmentstrategic
• core task: the evaluation of research proposals

4. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Strategic goals
• To consolidate Switzerland’s pole position in research
• To guarantee and improve the attractiveness of
Switzerland for researchers
• To offer research funding in line with actual needs in
the different research categories
• To facilitate international co-operation and support
competitiveness
• To embed research in society
• To promote young researchers and gender equality

5. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Largest Swiss funding agency
Each year the SNSF invests
• approx. CHF 800 million (RUB 39 billion)
• in over 3,400 projects
• involving 14,000 researchers

6. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
R&D: international comparison
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D as a percentage of the GDP
Source: OECD, 2008

7. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Impact of scientific publications
Relative citation index
Source: Thomson Reuters (SCI/SSCI/A&HCI), adaption SER
2011

8. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Patents
Number per million inhabitants
Source: OECD, as at 2009

9. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Bodies of the SNSF
Divisions
I: Humanities and Social Sciences
II: Mathematics, Natural and Engineering Sciences
III: Biology and Medicine
IV: Programmes:
National Research Programmes (NRPs)
National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs)
Specialised Committees
Interdisciplinary Research
Careers
International Co-operation
Foundation Council and Executive Committee
National Research Council
Research Commissions at Swiss institutions of higher education
Administrative Offices
Commissionen
Gender Equality in Research Funding
Research Integrity
Compliance Committee Internal Audit

10. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Funding

11. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Funding by research area 2013
Total: CHF 818.8 million

12. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Funding (general) by scheme 2013
Total: CHF 818.8 million

13. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Use of approved amounts 2013
Total: CHF 818.8 million

14. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Funding by institution
Distribution of the approved amounts in CHF million
Total: CHF 818.8 bn

15. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Main financial research flows in
Switzerland
15
Confederation Cantons
SNSF CTI
Cantonal
universities
ETH domain
Universities of applied
sciences
Funding
institutions
Research
Institutions
EU
Basic funding
Competitive funding

16. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Partners in the innovation process
The SNSF and
the CTI are
important
institutional
partners and
drivers of
research and
innovation in
Switzerland.

17. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Internationality

18. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
International co-operations in project
funding in 2012
# projects announcing a co-
operation with institutes in
foreign countries (2012, 4057
projects)

19. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Instruments to support International
Co-operation
The SNSF’s own instruments
• International Short Visits
• International Exploratory Workshops
• Money Follows Researcher
• Sinergia (1 partner from abroad can be
funded)
No geographical
restrictions
Agreements with sister organisations
• Reciprocal cross-border funding of bilateral joint research
projects (Money Follows Co-operation Line)
• Co-funding of activities with mutual recognition of funding
decisions (Lead Agency)
• Co-funded programmes (SDC, SERI)

20. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
Co-operations with Russia
• 1992-2006: mainly within INTAS
• SCOPES 1996-1998, 1999-2004, 2005-2008, 2009-
2012: 14 Joint Research Projects, 3 Institutional
Partnerships
• Scientific & technological cooperation Programme
Switzerland-Russia:
• 2008-2012: 24 bilateral JRP funded
• 2013-2016: JRP call in preparation with MES, RFBR and RFH
• ERA.Net RUS (PLUS):
• 2009-2013: CH participation in 11 JRP (8 times as coordinator)
from totally 31 projects
• 2013-2018: 208 projects currently under evaluation, 40 with CH
partner (14 times as coordinator)

21. SNSF 10.06.2014 Research creates knowledge.
If we knew
what we were looking for,
it wouldn’t be called research.
Thank you for your attention!