How we fund

Requirements

1. The research network is international, preferably global, and reaches a large proportion of the researchers in the relevant topic.
2. The coordinating office of the research network is headed by a researcher highly qualified in the relevant topic.
3. All qualified researchers have equal access to the services, tools and results provided by the coordinating office.
4. The products of the research network are secured for the longer term and are publicly accessible (open access).
5. The coordination office must be affiliated with one of the following types of research institutions:

• Cantonal Swiss University
• Institution of the ETH domain
• University of Applied Sciences

This institution is legally responsible and willing to host the coordination office during the period of SCNAT support. In doing so, it should make contributions in kind (e.g. premises, central services such as IT or accounting, co-financing).

Procedure

1. At appropriate times, SCNAT conducts national calls for proposals for coordination offices of international research networks. No call is currently planned.
2. Applications for funding may be submitted by coordinating offices of research networks for review according to a procedure determined in each case by the Commission for research networks and approved by the SCNAT Board.
3. Applications are reviewed by recognized researchers from the subject area who are familiar with the work of research networks and who are appointed by the Commission.
4. The Commission for research networks decides on the allocation of funding for research network coordinating bodies and the framework conditions for its use. This decision is ratified by the SCNAT Executive Board.
5. The Commission verifies the appropriate use of the funds on the basis of the annual reporting of the coordinating offices.