Innovation Partnership Grant

The Innovation Partnership Grant supports academic start-ups in the Asia-Pacific to connect with the innovation ecosystem in Switzerland and enable early-career researchers to gain exposure in a global start-up environment. The grant is intended for early-stage, deep-tech start-ups to collaborate with a Swiss researcher or research team for PhD mobility of 2 weeks to 6 months. Activities may include lab placements for PhD scholars from the Asia-Pacific in Switzerland (incoming) or lab projects for Swiss PhD scholars in the start-up overseas (outgoing). We look for projects that enhance research training, support PhD scholars in building their global networks, and foster sustainable partnerships and knowledge exchange for innovation-led research and entrepreneurship.

You can apply for this funding call if you are a Swiss-based researcher. You must be employed at postdoctoral level or above at one of the eligible Swiss federal and cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education and public research institutes for the entire duration of the project, with a minimum employment level of 0.5 FTE (50%).

see full list of eligible Swiss institutions

Specific eligibility requirements are provided in the call guidelines below.  

All proposals need to include Project Co-Leads from a university in at least one of the eligible countries of the Asia Pacific.

Partner institutions are eligible if they are based in: 

Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan (Chinese Taipei), Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam).

Activities we support

• Swiss lab placements of 2 weeks to 6 months for PhD scholars of an academic start-up in the Asia Pacific.
• Short-term projects or lab placements for Swiss PhD scholars to gain exposure in a global start-up environment in the Asia Pacific.
• Supervisor meetings and research visits (e.g. to validate start-up technology in a Swiss research context)

Up to CHF20,000 may be awarded per grant.

All proposals need to demonstrate co-funding (cash or in-kind) from the Project Co-Lead(s) in the Asia-Pacific.

Proposals will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

• Relevance of PhD mobility for start-up development and international research training.
• Clearly defined pathway to academic/societal impact (focus on achievable results that can lead to high-impact outputs and the potential to leverage future funding).
• Potential to build sustainable research and innovation networks between Switzerland and the Asia-Pacific.
• Feasibility, including work plan, timeline and budget.
• Diversity of the research team.
• Level of co-funding commitment.