Ambizione
Your first step towards scientific independence!
Ambizione grants are aimed at young researchers who wish to conduct, manage and lead an independent project at a Swiss higher education institution. The funding scheme supports qualified researchers from Switzerland and abroad for a maximum duration of 4 years. Applicants must have a link with Switzerland (see below) and have defended their PhD between 1 and 4 years prior to the application deadline.
An Ambizione grant comprises the salary of the grantee and project funds. Researchers who hold or have been promised a non-professorial teaching position with prospects of an academic career are eligible to apply for an Ambizione project grant (project funds only).
Next deadline: 3 November 2026
Latest call for proposals: Ambizione will be replaced by a new funding instrument starting in 2028.
Changes as of 2026
The SNSF has decided that candidates must have a link with Switzerland. More specifically, they must be of Swiss nationality, or hold a degree from a Swiss higher education institution (master's degree, doctorate, medical diploma, FMH specialist title or equivalent), or have carried out research or clinical work in a Swiss research institution for at least 12 months between the completion of their doctorate or medical diploma and the submission deadline.
In addition, each contact person (e.g. a professor at the selected research institution) can only support one applicant.
Written confirmation from the research institution
To submit an application to the SNSF, you need a written confirmation from the research institution (template is available on mySNF and AVA).
At UZH, you will receive the confirmation letter via the approval process in AVA, the UZH third-party funding platform.
To receive the confirmation letters in time, please start the approval process no later than 2 weeks before the deadline.
Please contact the responsible persons at the institute, seminar or clinic at an early stage to discuss aspects of the scientific connection as well as the available resources (premises, infrastructure, etc.).
You can register on AVA with your UZH login (short name and password).
External applicants who do not (yet) have a UZH login can request a temporary external user account for AVA. The login requires a two-factor authentification (e.g. with the Microsoft or Google authentificator app) and the account has to be confirmed by the Research & Grants Office before it can be used.
Please enter your project details on AVA and start the approval process in good time. Once the approval process has been completed, you can download the confirmation letter from AVA as a PDF.