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ETH Single-PI Grants
ETH Grants for single Principal Investigators (PIs) are primarily intended to support outstanding and highly innovative doctoral projects in all disciplines at ETH Zurich. These grants can be awarded to a single ETH PI or applicants from the same research group. They provide seed funding for pioneering, step-out projects that have the potential for exciting new discoveries with high visibility and impact in the area of high-risk/high-reward research.
Projects that involve scientifically sound but relatively generic investigations, which would complement ongoing work in the PI's laboratory, will automatically be given low priority in both funding lines. Similarly, natural extensions of a PI’s ongoing research that would qualify for funding by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) will not be considered. Generic examples of suitable ETH Grant proposals can be found here.
Project duration, funding and budgeting
The typical Single-PI Grant covers the salary and material costs for one doctoral student for up to four years, including travel for the doctoral student to a scientific congress. Post-doctoral research positions are generally not foreseen and will be funded only exceptionally, only for a maximum duration of one year and only in addition to the doctoral student.
| Single-PI Grants | |
|---|---|
| max. 4 years | |
| max. CHF 350,000 (1 group) |
Deadline and evaluation
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.
Each application is subjected to an external peer review and is evaluated according to homogenous quality standards by the ETH Zurich Research Commission, which then issues a funding recommendation to the Vice President Research.
PIs will be notified about the funding decision within approximately four months after the application deadline.
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
PI's are, in general, required to have at least one active SNSF grant or to hold one other substantial, peer-reviewed, external grant, e.g., from the EU. Exceptions are possible e.g. in the case of professors who have newly arrived at ETH Zurich.
A PI must also not submit more than one application per call (including both funding lines).
Employment must be guaranteed for the intended duration of the project.
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:
$433,141
CHF 350,000
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/eth-grants.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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