Synapsis Foundation | Research funding on dementia research

 
Basic, Translational and Clinical Research:

Principal Investigator Grants:

Fueling innovative projects led by established research teams. Funded projects are supported with up to CHF 300’000 for up to 3 years.

Eligiblity: Principal investigators working at Swiss universities or non-commercial research institutions.who have not received funding from the Synapsis Foundation for at least one year at the time of submission, are eligible to apply. Project proposals that have been previously rejected by the Foundation may be resubmitted once, accompanied by an explanation of the changes made to the original application.

Career Development Awards:

Empowering advanced postdoctoral researchers at Swiss universities and research institutions to establish themselves as independent investigators in neurodegenerative disease research. Funding is a maximum of CHF 100’000 per year for up to five years (phase 1 and 2 together), pending on a successful reapplication after phase 1.

Eligiblity: In PHASE 1 advanced postdoctoral scientists conducting research in a host laboratory at a public research facility in Switzerland are supported for up to three years. Researchers who have worked 3 - 5 years as postdoctoral researchers at the time of application are eligible to apply. The awardees must submit annual progress reports and a final report. To apply for PHASE 2 of the fellowship, applicants must submit a progress report, research plan and a career plan at least 3 months before the completion of phase 1. Applicants qualifying for phase 2 of the award will be invited for an interview with members of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation.

Research Grant Competition 2026:

This call invites applications for projects aimed at developing and/or validating digital and non-pharmacological approaches for the prevention and diagnosis of dementia, as well as for the care of people living with dementia. The topics covered in this call include:

• Prevention strategies to reduce the risk of dementia, delay its onset, or slow disease progression
• Innovative digital approaches to advance timely and accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases
• Non-pharmacological interventions aimed at enhancing the treatment, support, and overall quality of care for individuals living with dementia

Two different funding opportunities are offered:

• Pilot Grants of maximum CHF 100’000 for one year
• Consolidator Grants of maximum CHF 250’000 for up to three years

Researchers working at Swiss universities or non-commercial research institutions, who have not received funding from the Synapsis Foundation for at least one year at the time of submission, are eligible to apply. Each applicant can only submit one application in response to the 2026 call for proposals. Project proposals that have been previously rejected by the Foundation may be resubmitted once, accompanied by an explanation of the changes made to the original application

SUBMISSION: A two-step submission process must be followed, with a Letter of Intent to be submitted before 8 April 2026 at 11:59 pm. For more details, please refer to the guidelines for each programme.

Timeline:

• 8 April 2026: Submission deadline for letter of intent
• 12 May 2026: Invitation to submit a full proposal for the best-rated project outlines
• 18 May 2026: Rejection letters sent to unsuccessful applicants
• 5 July 2026: Submission deadline for full proposal
• 30 November 2026: Funding recommendation by the Scientific Advisory Board
• 10 December 2026: Funding decision by the Board of Trustees
• Mid December 2026: Communication to applicants regarding funding/rejection
• January to March 2027: preparation and signing of the grant agreements

The application dossier, including the template for the Letter of Intent, is available on the call’s website. For more information, please refer to the call guidelines or contact the EPFL Research Office at [email protected].