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ETH Career Seed Awards
ETH Career Seed Awards provide a funding opportunity for postdocs employed at ETH Zurich who want to carry out an independent research project. The awards are meant to support promising young researchers at an early career stage in exploring or developing novel, ambitious ideas, new research directions, or collaborations with the goal of establishing their own record of independent research.
The programme is open to all disciplines represented at ETH Zurich, ranging from basic to applied research, and covers the required running and material costs.
Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (obtained not more than six years ago at the submission deadline) as well as a non-permanent position as a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich for the intended duration of the project. Applicants must have been employed as postdoctoral researchers at ETH for at least six months at the date of the submission deadline. They must already have scientific achievements from their time as postdoctoral researchers at ETH Zurich.
Each proposal must be accompanied by a letter of support from the host professor that indicates approval of the submission.
Projects will be funded with a lump sum of CHF 30,000 for up to 12 months.
Funding is mainly intended to cover running costs but may also be used for the salaries of temporary staff such as field assistants or technicians.
Funding may not be used for the applicant's own salary or to support doctoral students.
Submission deadlines are 1 March and 1 September at 17:00 Swiss local time each year.
If a submission deadline falls on a weekend, it will be postponed to the following Monday, 17:00 Swiss local time.
Proposals are evaluated according to homogenous quality standards by the ETH Zurich Research Commission, which then issues a funding recommendation to the Vice President Research. As of the fall of 2021, ETH Zurich Postdoctoral Fellows are involved in the evaluation procedure.
Notification of decisions will normally be sent to the applicant within four months of the submission deadline. Career Seed Awards can start immediately after formal approval, but no later than two months after the reception of the decision letter.
Applications must be submitted electronically in pdf format using the ETH Zurich grant application system (eResearch). Please use the Downloadtemplate provided (DOCX, 33 KB) for the project description.
The call is usually open in the system about one month before the deadline.
The steps required to submit an application in the web-based ETH Zurich grant application system eResearch are outlined below.
Please note that you can interrupt the processing of the application at any time and resume the work at a later date, provided you do so before the submission deadline. You can find instructions on how to do this at the bottom of the page.
Submitting an application:
- Download the required Proposal template (register important documents and templates).
- Fill in the Proposal template and complete all other required documents. The documents must be converted into a PDF file prior to submission (no password protection).
- Please register on eResearch with your ETH email address (username@ethz.ch) and set a password to create an account. This step only needs to be done when using eResearch for the first time. Having registered once, you can log in with your eResearch login details.
- Click on “My Applications” in the navigation bar on the left to start with a new application. (Alternatively, you can open a new application in the section “New Grant Application” on the homepage.)
- Then click on “New Application”. You will be directed to a page where all open calls are available for selection. The call is usually open in the system about one month before the deadline. Select the funding instrument and click on “Apply”. You will now be in the edit mode of the newly opened application form. Please note the reference number of the application in the upper left corner.
- Fill in all mandatory fields and upload the required attachments (marked with a red dot) by navigating from page to page using the “Next” and “Previous” buttons. Be sure you save the information you entered by clicking “Save”. As soon as all mandatory fields of a page are filled in, the icon in the sidebar on the left will turn green (does not apply to the “Participants” page, see points 7 and 8).
- Add the host professor and, if applicable, the co-applicant on the “Participants” page. This triggers an automatic e-mail to the respective person with a request to upload the required documents. Only if both you and your host professor have filled in all mandatory fields, the icon in the sidebar of the “Participants” page will turn green.
- Once you have completed the application form, click on “Validation Summary" on the left. The “Validation Summary” page will then list all mandatory fields that have not yet been filled in. Please note that the host professor must also have uploaded their attachments and made their entries before the submission deadline in order for the application to be successfully validated and submitted.
- Fill in the missing fields and validate again. After successful validation, exit the edit mode by clicking “Save And Close”.
- Submit the application form by clicking on the “Submit” button at the bottom right of the application summary page. Please scroll down if you cannot see the button. Changes are no longer possible after the application has been submitted. If you have submitted an application in error, please contact eresearch-support@ethz.ch.
- Create a PDF file of your application for your personal records. To do this, click on “View/print” in the grey “PDF the application” box on the right side of the same page.
To interrupt the processing of the application, you must:
- Exit the edit mode of the application by clicking “Save And Close” and then log out on the left side of the page.
- To continue working on an existing application, log in to the platform with your eResearch login details, go to “My Applications” on the left side of the page, and then select the respective application by clicking on the title or on the “View details” icon on the right.
- Click “Edit” on the right side of the application summary page to enter the edit mode. Now proceed to edit your application.
AI Based Application Success Predictor
1. Highly original, high-risk/high-reward research (highest predictor)
This is the defining characteristic of ETH Grants.
ETH explicitly prioritizes projects that:
- Venture into unexplored research areas
- Pursue bold, unconventional ideas
- Have potential for fundamental discoveries
- Could lead to transformative technologies
- Are difficult to fund through traditional agencies
Projects that are merely incremental extensions of existing work receive low priority.
2. Clear departure from the PI's existing research program (very high predictor)
One of the most distinctive ETH requirements is that proposals should represent a "step-out" project.
Competitive proposals should:
- Explore a genuinely new research direction
- Move beyond the PI's current core research
- Avoid simply extending ongoing projects
- Demonstrate scientific independence from previous work
Projects that could readily be submitted to the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) as routine follow-on studies are generally not considered competitive for ETH Grants.
3. Scientific excellence and potential for major impact (very high predictor)
Successful proposals address important scientific questions with the potential to generate:
- Fundamental new knowledge
- Breakthrough technologies
- High scientific visibility
- Broad disciplinary influence
- Significant innovation
ETH seeks projects capable of producing internationally recognized advances rather than incremental improvements.
4. Strong innovation and interdisciplinarity (very high predictor)
Innovation is central to ETH funding.
Competitive projects frequently involve:
- Novel methodologies
- Emerging technologies
- Cross-disciplinary approaches
- Integration of different scientific fields
- Creative combinations of expertise
For Collaborative ETH Grants, interdisciplinary collaboration between two or three ETH research groups with clear added scientific value is a major evaluation criterion.
5. Strong feasibility despite ambitious goals (very high predictor)
Although ETH encourages high-risk ideas, proposals must remain technically credible.
Strong applications include:
- Clear hypotheses
- Appropriate methodology
- Realistic milestones
- Sound experimental design
- Risk-mitigation strategies
- Feasible timelines
The balance between ambition and feasibility is critical.
6. Outstanding investigator track record (very high predictor)
Applicants are generally expected to have demonstrated research excellence.
For most ETH Grants, Principal Investigators should:
- Hold an ETH appointment
- Have an active externally peer-reviewed grant (e.g., SNSF or EU funding), unless exempt as a newly appointed professor or career-development fellow
- Show a strong publication record
- Demonstrate leadership in their field
For postdoctoral schemes, scientific achievements relative to career stage are emphasized.
7. Strong potential to enable future external funding (very high predictor)
ETH views many of its internal schemes as seed funding.
Competitive proposals clearly explain how the project will:
- Generate preliminary data
- Enable future SNSF applications
- Strengthen ERC proposals
- Support EU funding
- Launch new long-term research directions
A successful project should position the investigator for larger competitive grants.
8. High-quality research environment and institutional support (high predictor)
Reviewers expect applicants to have access to:
- Advanced research infrastructure
- Appropriate laboratories
- Technical expertise
- Institutional commitment
- Strong mentoring (for early-career schemes)
For ETH Postdoctoral Fellowships, a committed host professor and strong scientific synergy between host and applicant are essential.
9. Strong independence and leadership potential (very high predictor for early-career awards)
Programs such as ETH Postdoctoral Fellowships, Career Seed Awards, and Focus Grants prioritize applicants who demonstrate the ability to establish an independent research career.
Competitive applicants typically show:
- Independent research ideas
- Evidence of leadership
- Original publications
- Limited prior dependence on the proposed mentor
- A clear academic career trajectory
For ETH Postdoctoral Fellowships, applicants are encouraged to propose their own project, and priority is given to candidates who have not closely collaborated with the host professor previously.
10. Strong collaboration with clear added value (high predictor for collaborative grants)
For collaborative funding schemes, reviewers expect collaboration to create scientific value beyond the sum of individual contributions.
Strong collaborative proposals demonstrate:
- Complementary expertise
- Shared scientific objectives
- Integrated methodology
- Clearly defined roles
- Novel interdisciplinary approaches
Simply combining multiple groups without genuine integration is unlikely to be competitive.
Specialties
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility to submit an application for a Career Seed Award is limited to postdoctoral researchers1 at ETH Zurich. Since the Career Seed Award should support a first step towards scientific independence, applicants that already obtained major project or career funding (e.g. SNSF Ambizione, ETH-Grant2 , SNSF Project Funding) are excluded. Postdoctoral fellowships are not considered a reason for exclusion. Applicants must have been employed as postdoctoral researchers at ETH Zurich for at least six months at the date of the submission deadline. They must already have scientific achievements from their time as postdoctoral researchers at ETH Zurich. Applicants must hold at least a 50% position, which must be guaranteed for the intended duration of the project. Applicants must have obtained their doctorate (PhD) a maximum of six years prior to the submission deadline. The decisive date is the date of the examination or viva voce. The host professor must be in agreement with the proposal and confirm that they will support the applicant in carrying out the proposed project. Joint applications from two postdocs are possible. Both applicants have to fulfil the eligibility criteria.
Sponsor Details
Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit
Address: Rämistrasse 101 HG E 32 / 34 8092 Zurich
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Grant
Multiple Deadlines:
1 March and 1 September
Funding Amount:
$37,126
CHF 30,000
Host Details
Affiliation: Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Address: Rämistrasse 101 HG E 32 / 34 8092 Zurich
Website URL: https://grantsoffice.ethz.ch/funding-opportunities/internal/seed-projects.html
Disclaimer:It is mandatory that all applicants carry workplace liability insurance, e.g., https://www.protrip-world-liability.com (Erasmus students use this package and typically costs around 5 € per month - please check) in addition to health insurance when you join any of the onsite Trialect partnered fellowships.
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