Open call for industry collaborations
NCCR Automation would like to invite its members to submit a research proposal together with an industrial partner. The research topic is open to the applicant and its industrial partner and should align with the NCCR research areas. The role of the industrial partner must be significant for the success of the proposal and the involvement of both parties (industrial / academic) in the project must be outlined in the application.
We anticipate that several projects will be funded.
Industrial partners will not join NCCR Automation as associated members.
Eligibility criteria
- The main applicant must be employed at a Swiss research institution at the time the project starts and must fulfil the requirements of the SNSF for receiving project funding (see Chapter 2 of the Regulations on project funding).
- The available budget is for the salary of a doctoral student or a postdoctoral researcher (for up to 2 years, max. CHF 116’000 per year), plus an additional supplement for travel and publications expenses (max. CHF 5’000 per year). The standard SNSF rules for expenses, duration, etc. apply; please note that, in particular, the principal investigator’s salary is not covered by this funding. Regarding doctoral students, the additional two years of funding must be provided by other sources.
Application process
Please complete the corresponding proposal form and submit it in pdf form to the NCCR Automation Management Team by 17:00 (CEST) on January 19th, 2023. A confirmation of receipt will be sent within a week after submission. Complementary information, or re-submission may be requested in case of missing or incomplete information. Please note that no business plan is required.
The call documents can be found here.
Evaluation process
Each research project proposal will be peer-reviewed by a committee composed of members from the NCCR Automation Executive Committee, where necessary in consultation with field experts, based on the following criteria:
- Scientific quality of the research project: scientific relevance to NCCR Automation topics, originality, suitability of the methods, and feasibility;
- Scientific qualification and ability of the applicants to conduct the proposed research;
- Potential and quality of the technology transfer leading to short-term impact on society and economy;
- Adequacy of the requested funding.
The following criterium is not compulsory, but will be considered positively by the evaluation committee in case two research projects are comparably evaluated:
- Prior common research projects, in particular projects funded by other funding agencies like Innosuisse.
Selected research projects
The allocated budget will be paid retrospectively in four-month tranches based on spending and in accordance with the NCCR budget guidelines provided by the SNSF. The project can begin within three months from 1st February 2023.
Contact person
Benjamin Sawicki
NCCR Automation Knowledge and Technology (KTT) Coordinator
044 632 87 32
