Florian Fisch
Swiss National Science Foundation | Science editor

At the heart of Switzerland's high innovative power and excellent global reputation lies a robust research ecosystem. Its strong higher education institutions — with the ETH Zurich, the EPFL, the cantonal universities, and the universities of applied sciences — not only produce scientific breakthroughs but are also training highly qualified personnel for the country's life sciences industry and the economy as a whole. These are the people who will go on to found new biotech startup companies or to develop new drugs in the pharmaceutical sector.

“Transferring knowledge and technology from the public to the private sector gives companies access to the ‘raw materials’ of qualified labor, advanced knowledge, and the latest technologies, as well as to the infrastructure of Swiss institutions of higher education and research,” explain Hans Gersbach and Martin Wörter, both economics professors at the ETH Zurich, in the Zukunftsblog (Future Blog) of the ETH Zurich.

One of the central concerns of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is therefore to support early-career researchers. The funding schemes tailored to their career stage help young academics to build their expertise and a network of international researchers to maintain the highest quality standards in science.

In its main project funding scheme, the SNSF supports thousands of doctoral students and postdocs about to start their journey to become independent researchers. With Postdoc.Mobility, Ambizione, and SNSF Starting Grants, the whole career pipeline is covered from the postdoc to the first years of attaining a professorship and leading a research group. All these funding schemes enable young scientists to pursue their own ideas, deepen their expertise, and prepare themselves for the fierce international competition in academia and industry alike.

Impact beyond academia

Currently, the SNSF supports over 6,600 doctoral students and around 4,200 postdocs through its career schemes, projects, and programs. It thereby contributes to Switzerland's economic resilience and innovative strength by attracting, training, and retaining the brightest minds. The sustained investment in early-career researchers is not only a commitment to scientific excellence but also a strategic imperative for the nation's future.

The SNSF's commitment yields benefits far beyond university walls. Data from recent cohorts reveal that a significant proportion of SNSF-funded postdocs and graduates transition into the private sector, where their research skills drive innovation and growth. For example, 64% of postdocs who left academia joined the private for-profit sector (Figure 1), and 58% of those in non-academic roles remained engaged in research activities (Figure 2).

Where postdocs work after academia

What postdocs work on after academia

Spending cuts challenge Swiss success

Despite being well positioned in international science, the development of research talent in Switzerland faces significant challenges. With the understandable aim of balancing the budget, Swiss parliament has decided on budget cuts for the period from 2027 to 2029 which threaten to reduce the number of funded positions. Such cuts disproportionately affect young researchers, as over 80% of SNSF funds are allocated to their salaries. The loss of these positions not only hinders the training of highly qualified professionals but also risks driving talented scientists abroad or out of research altogether. The SNSF hopes that Switzerland will resume its high investments in research and therefore in its innovative strength and competitive edge in the years to come.

SNSF career funding instruments

Postdoc.Mobility

This fellowship allows researchers to spend up to two years abroad after completing their doctorate. There, they are able to broaden their networks and gain more in-depth knowledge. Bringing their own money into an established research group strengthens their independence and allows them to develop their own academic profile. Fellowship holders can apply for a return grant to finance their initial period of research after returning to Switzerland. Four years after their start, over 30% of SNSF postdocs take their expertise and work outside academia (data based on a 2018 cohort asked in 2022).

Ambizione

Designed for those taking their next steps towards independence. These grants empower researchers from Switzerland or abroad who have completed their doctoral thesis in the last four years to lead their own projects and teams at a Swiss research institution. The funding instrument has been available continuously since 2008. Grants last for a maximum of four years. In a survey, researchers reported that it has given their career a strong boost, allowing them to improve their competences, their scientific profile, their competitiveness, their research output, and their national and international network.

SNSF Starting Grants

After several years of experience in research following their doctorate and scientifically relevant and impactful research in their field, applicants may apply for these prestigious grants. They enable researchers who have already contributed to scientifically independent and impactful research to establish independent research groups as assistant professors if that position is available in their home institution in Switzerland. These are the positions that start to form the next generation of skilled workforce.