First Call for Seed Collaboration in AI Research: National University of Singapore & Swiss National AI Institute
Event details
| Date | 22.08.2025 |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Aim: The National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Swiss National AI Institute (SNAI) powered by ETH Zurich and EPFL are committed to support collaborative research initiatives through a joint call for seed collaboration proposals. The aim of the funding is to provide initial support through seed grants for the development of research links and catalyze further collaboration in the following research areas:
1) AI for Drug Discovery
2) AI for Biomolecular Discovery
3) AI for Health
4) 3D Geometric Foundation Models
5) LLMs for Administration (Legal and Finance)
6) AI for Robotics
Proposals should demonstrate a clear potential for impact and sustainability beyond the initial funding period. They may include scientific exchanges, such as research visits, seminars and workshops, as well as pilot research projects, aimed at initiating joint research activities.
Funding: max. CHF 133K for the EPFL applicant
Duration: 24 months
Eligibility: To be eligible, a proposal must include a PI from NUS and SNAI, e.g. NUS-ETHZ, NUS-EPFL, or NUS-EPFL-ETHZ collaborations, with high priority given to NUS-EPFL-ETHZ collaborations. From the SNAI side, eligible PIs from ETHZ and EPFL must be employees of either institution and authorized to hold and manage third-party research grants. The team must demonstrate that they have the relevant qualifications and clearly articulate the added value of the collaboration in terms of complementarity, synergy and scientific impact, and excellence.
How to Apply: The proposal should be comprised of a cover page, project description and collaboration plan (max 4 pages), proposed budget, and short CVs for all applicants. Applicants can request funding for personnel directly related to the project, such as postdocs, project engineers, project managers, research assistants, and others, travel expenses, accommodation and subsistence, rental cost for venues, and consumables including compute resources.
This is a joint call, and a joint application should be submitted by SNAI and NUS PIs; however, the NUS PI will be responsible for uploading the application materials on behalf of the joint project team onto the submission portal before the deadline. Results will be communicated to research teams within 2 months of the deadline, with projects anticipated to start in November 2025.
Deadline: 22 August 2025
Further information
1) AI for Drug Discovery
2) AI for Biomolecular Discovery
3) AI for Health
4) 3D Geometric Foundation Models
5) LLMs for Administration (Legal and Finance)
6) AI for Robotics
Proposals should demonstrate a clear potential for impact and sustainability beyond the initial funding period. They may include scientific exchanges, such as research visits, seminars and workshops, as well as pilot research projects, aimed at initiating joint research activities.
Funding: max. CHF 133K for the EPFL applicant
Duration: 24 months
Eligibility: To be eligible, a proposal must include a PI from NUS and SNAI, e.g. NUS-ETHZ, NUS-EPFL, or NUS-EPFL-ETHZ collaborations, with high priority given to NUS-EPFL-ETHZ collaborations. From the SNAI side, eligible PIs from ETHZ and EPFL must be employees of either institution and authorized to hold and manage third-party research grants. The team must demonstrate that they have the relevant qualifications and clearly articulate the added value of the collaboration in terms of complementarity, synergy and scientific impact, and excellence.
How to Apply: The proposal should be comprised of a cover page, project description and collaboration plan (max 4 pages), proposed budget, and short CVs for all applicants. Applicants can request funding for personnel directly related to the project, such as postdocs, project engineers, project managers, research assistants, and others, travel expenses, accommodation and subsistence, rental cost for venues, and consumables including compute resources.
This is a joint call, and a joint application should be submitted by SNAI and NUS PIs; however, the NUS PI will be responsible for uploading the application materials on behalf of the joint project team onto the submission portal before the deadline. Results will be communicated to research teams within 2 months of the deadline, with projects anticipated to start in November 2025.
Deadline: 22 August 2025
Further information
- More information is available in the Call Document
- The application portal can be found here
- For any other questions, please contact the Research Office
Practical information
- General public
- Free