In order to develop and continue scientific and research collaborations with Switzerland and as a new method to support joint projects, the Swiss Desk together with the ZHAW - the Swiss Leading House of South Asia and Iran, has proposed a call of supporting joint projects between Iran and Switzerland in form of a program called Bridging Grants for 2019.

https://www.zhaw.ch/en/research/leading-house-south-asia-and-iran/funding-instruments-leading-house-south-asia-and-iran/#c95247

Purposes:

Bridging grants offer the possibility to continue joint research in order to prepare a grant application for a full joint research project e.g. through the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), EU funding or any other national or regional funding body. Bridging grants may also enable the intensification of joint teaching or curriculum development.
The call is open for activities in all scientific disciplines and fields of research.

Budget:

The supporting budget for each project is 25.000 Swiss Francs from which 50% is granted by the Leading House for South Asia and Iran, and the other 50% is granted by the Iranian Universities from which the proposals of their faculty members win the related grant.

The Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicants should be a residence of Switzerland and have an employment contract with a federal of cantonal university, university of applied sciences of university of teachers’ education in Switzerland.
• Applicants need to have successfully completed (or nearly completed) a research project with an Iranian partner university.   
• Applicants must submit their grant application through their individual email account at one of the Swiss universities.

Some of the evaluation criteria are:

• Scientific value or impact of the expected outcome
• Having potential for long-term collaboration and follow-up collaboration
• Feasibility of the proposed activity
• Expertise and complementarities of the applicant and their Iranian partner
• Financial partnership of the applicant and their Iranian institute

Timeline:

• Applications will be accepted until: 15 January 2020
• Evaluation and funding decision: End of March 2020
• Notification of applicants: End of April 2020
• Project start date: Must be in 2020
• Project duration: Up to 6 months     

  

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