[ Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) programme| Transnational and transdisciplinary research funding ]

The SNSF and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) are launching the new Solution-oriented Research for Development (SOR4D) programme. The SOR4D programme invites researchers and development actors from policy and practice to collaborate in transnational and transdisciplinary consortia.

The SOR4D programme is open to all disciplines from the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, health and life sciences. Proposals must explicitly aim at systemic solutions that simultaneously address several of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

Who can apply:

• International research partnerships: a consortium must be composed of researchers and development actors from least developed, low and lower middle income countries and from Switzerland.
• The responsible applicant research partner must hold a position at a Swiss higher education or research institution. The responsible applicant is a faculty member or senior teaching and research staff employed for the entire duration of the project
• At least one co-applicant research partner holding a position at a higher education or research institution located in a least developed, low and lower middle income country;
• At least one co-applicant development actor of a practitioner organisation located in the country/countries where the transdisciplinary research is being conducted.
• Eligible countries for SOR4D research partnerships are those listed by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as Official Development Assistance recipient countries.
• Applications must be in line with the regulations outlined in this call document. In addition and if no specific provision is formulated in the present call, the regulations of the SNSF apply, in particular the SNSF Funding Regulations and their General Implementation Regulations.

• Between CHF 500’000 and CHF 1’000’000 (average) for maximum 36 months.
• At least 50% of the approved amount must be spent in the ODA recipient partner country/countries.
• At least 20% of the approved amount must be allocated to development actors, i.e. co-applicants and project partners from practitioner organisations.
• At least 10% of the approved amount must be spent for communication and dissemination activities.

• Personnel (scientific and technical staff; excluding the PI’s salary), knowledge utilization, material costs and overhead (max 10%) for partner institutions in ODA recipient countries.
• Costs for open access publications are not eligible and must be requested separately (https://oa100.snf.ch/en/home-en/).
• We would like to remind you that EPFL applies, since 2018, a flat rate salary scale of CHF 50’040 per year for doctoral students funded by SNSF grants.
• Use the EPFL Budget Calculator to prepare your application.

• Submission of pre-proposals: 2 May 2022 (17:00 Swiss local time) via mySNF
• Submission of full-proposals (upon invitation): 30 September 2022
• Start of the projects: February-May 2023