The Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research funds Research Projects (A) and young Investigators Grants (B) in the area of medical-biological research.

The Foundation accepts applications for funding over one year up to a maximum amount of CHF 80’000.00 for:

A) Research Projects to be conducted in Switzerland by members of a Swiss university or research institution. Applicants must be senior researchers responsible for the research project (PI).

B) Young Investigator Grants to advance scientific careers of young researchers (PhD/MD) from Swiss universities. Applicants should provide a letter confirming a senior leader supports the project.‍

We do not sponsor projects that include any Novartis products.

If your application is successful and your Young Investigator Grant or Research Project is awarded, you will not be eligible to apply for a grant in the same category for the next five years. However, you may apply for funding in a different category, provided you meet the respective eligibility criteria outlined in our guidelines.

There are three deadlines per year for the submission of grant application. The dates for submission for the year 2026 are as follows:

January 23rd, 2026

April 17th, 2026

September 11th, 2026

‍

2 Applications

2.1 Research projects2.1.1 Financials

Our Foundation funds research projects up to a maximum amount of CHF 80’000.00 including charged social costs for salaries. Please ensure that you include – if applicable – these costs in your budget / total amount.

1. Salaries for research staff (i.e. PhD students, Postdocs or other staff needed), however, our contribution to research projects does not include the applicants own salary.
2. Instruments or Intrument fees
3. Miscellaneous (consumables, animal costs, publication fees etc.)

2.1.2 Documents2.1.2.1 Application Form

You can download the application form here. Please fill it in and attach it to your application.

2.1.2.2 Scientific Part

Grant applications should be submitted electronically in English language according to the following guidelines:

Proposals should not be a copy-paste of the SNF grant proposal, but a self-standing outline of the planned research to be performed, in general over a one-year period. If your project exceeds a one-year period, please enclose information about the funding for the remaining / elapsed time frame.

Your application should include the following:

1. Summary / Abstract summarizing the research project to be funded (max. 1 page)
2. Background (max. 1 page)
3. Hypothesis and specific aims (max. 1 page)
4. Experiments to be performed, protocols, methods (max. 1 page)
5. Significance (max. 1 page)
6. Budget and budget justifications (max.1 page) (If the grant application involves salaries, the applicable social costs should be provided)
7. References

The scientific part should not exceed 6 standard pages (single-spaced, font size 12)

2.1.2.3 CVs and Publication Lists

Please include your CV and a publication list of the last five years in your application. Also do the same for involved postdocs if the grant is meant to cover their salaries.

2.1.3 Submission

Your application consists of three different parts:

1. Application Form in Microsoft Excel format (.xlsx)
2. Your application (see above instructions, pdf format, max. 6 pages) collated with all appendices 1) (PDF) in a single document
3. Your CV (max. 2 pages) and a list of publications (limited to the last 5 years) plus the CVs of your PhD student, Postdocs or other staff

1) appendices
a. SNF funding letter if pertinent
b. SNF grant summary if pertinent
c. Letters and summaries for other funding agencies
d. Offers from vendors (for laboratory equipment)
e. Approval letters for animal studies if pertinent
f. Positive opinion of the responsible Ethics Committee if the study involves human subjects or identifiable human material or personal data
g. Other relevant documents as applicable

‍

Send your application with all the documents mentioned above to the email address med_biol.foundation@novartis.com. Please mention what kind of grant you are applying for in the subject line (Research project / Young Investigator Grant).

‍

2.2 Young Investigator Grants2.2.1 Financials

Our max. grant is CHF 80’000.00 including charged social costs for salaries. Please ensure that you include – if applicable – these costs in your budget / total amount.

1. Salaries for research staff (i.e. PhD students, Postdocs, or other staff needed - in exceptional cases the applicants own salary)
2. Instruments or Instrument fees
3. Miscellaneous (consumables, animal costs, publication fees etc.)

2.2.2 Documents2.2.2.1 Application Form

You can download the application form here. Please fill it in and attach it to your application.

2.2.2.2 Scientific Part

Grant applications should be submitted electronically in English language according to the following guidelines:

Proposals should not be a copy-paste of the SNF grant proposal, but a self-standing outline of the planned research to be performed, in general over a one-year period. If your project exceeds a one-year period, please enclose information about the funding for the remaining / elapsed time frame.

Your application should include the following:

1. Application Form, Microsoft Excelformat
2. Summary / Abstract summarizing the research project to be funded (max. 1 page)
3. Background (max. 1 page)
4. Hypothesis and specific aims (max. 1 page)
5. Experiments to be performed, protocols,methods (max. 1 page)
6. Significance (max. 1 page)
7. Budget and budget justifications (max.1 page) (If the grant application involves salaries, the applicable social costs should be provided)
8. References

The scientific part should not exceed 6 standard pages (single-spaced, font size 12)

2.2.2.3 CV and Publication list

Please include your CV and a publication list of the last five years in your application. Also do the same for involved postdocs if the grant is meant to cover their salaries.

2.2.2.4 Confirmation letters / Support letters

This kind of application needs a written confirmation that the applicant will be corresponding author on any papers that will be published based on the submitted project should it be funded by the Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research. In case you are an associate of a research group in Switzerland, please do include a signed confirmation letter by the group leader stating your independency as a researcher.

In case you hold an independent research position at the a Swiss Institute, please include a Support Letter by your last group leader.

In case you hold currently or going to hold an independent research position at a Swiss Institute, please provide a document confirming this employment.

2.2.2.5 Motivation Letter

Please also include a letter explaining your future career plans and motivation.

2.2.3 Submission

Your application consists of four different parts:

1. Application Form in Microsoft Excel format (.xlsx)
2. Your application (see above instructions, pdf format, max. 6 pages) collated with all appendices 1) (PDF) in a single document
3. Your CV (max. 2 pages) and a list of your publications (limited to the last 5years) plus the CVs of your PhD student, Postdoc or other staff
4. Confirmation letter / Support letter by the current or last group leader

1) appendices
a. SNF funding letter if pertinent
b. SNF grant summary if pertinent
c. Letters and summaries for other funding agencies
d. ffers from vendors (for laboratory equipment)
e. Approval letters for animal studies if pertinent
f. Positive opinion of the responsible Ethics Committee if the study involves human subjects or identifiable human material or personal data
g. Other relevant documents as applicable

3 Decisions

After submitting your application, you will receive a unique ApplicationID, which must be referenced in all subsequent correspondence. Decisions will be communicated via email approximately 14 weeks after the submission deadline, using the address provided in your application form.

1. Application granted: you will receive an approval letter in electronic format, granting the funding of your research. You are kindly asked to send us an invoice from your institution to proceed with the payment and a final report (after one-year period)./li>
2. Application not granted: you will receive a negative decision via e-mail after careful review of your documents

Please note that we do not provide detailed feedback in case of negative decisions. We have an increasing number of applications every year – most of them are high-quality projects and overall limited acceptance rate does not allow us to physically respond to everyone.

4 Resubmission

You are always welcome to reapply in case your application was not approved. In order to resubmit your application, send in a revised version and explain any changes made to the original in a seperate document.

Please note that repeated application within a short period (1 year) with the same project or simiar in the category will be considered a resubmission.

‍AI Based Application Success Predictor

🔑 1. Strong Alignment with Novartis Therapeutic Areas (Top Predictor)

Novartis funding is tightly aligned with its core R&D focus:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Neuroscience
• Cardiovascular & metabolic diseases
• Gene therapy (especially rare diseases)

👉 Proposals outside these areas are rarely funded

🔄 2. Translational & Drug Development Potential (Critical)

• Projects must contribute to:
  • Drug discovery or clinical development
  • Understanding safety, efficacy, or mechanisms
• Strong preference for:
  • Bench → clinical translation

👉 Many programs explicitly aim to move research toward clinical trials or therapeutic use

🧪 3. High Scientific Merit & Innovation

Successful proposals typically:

• Address unmet medical needs
• Show novel mechanisms, targets, or technologies
• Include strong biological rationale

👉 Innovation is essential, but must be clinically relevant

👩‍🔬 4. Investigator Expertise & Track Record

Novartis evaluates:

• Principal investigator’s:
  • Publications
  • Clinical trial experience
  • Expertise in the disease area

👉 Proven ability to execute complex studies is a key factor

🏥 5. Strong Clinical or Research Infrastructure

• Access to:
  • Patient populations
  • Clinical trial facilities
  • Advanced lab infrastructure

👉 Especially important for:

• IITs (Investigator-Initiated Trials)
• Translational studies

🤝 6. Collaboration & Partnership Potential

• Academic–industry collaboration is highly valued
• Programs like Global Scholars emphasize:
  • Close collaboration with Novartis scientists

👉 Partnership potential often influences final decisions

🎯 7. Clear Value to Novartis Pipeline

Successful proposals clearly show:

• Relevance to:
  • Existing Novartis drugs
  • Pipeline development
• Contribution to:
  • Biomarkers
  • New indications
  • Treatment optimization

👉 Strategic fit is often decisive

📊 8. Feasible Study Design & Deliverability

• Realistic timelines
• Clear endpoints and milestones
• Strong methodology

👉 Feasibility is critical for industry-funded research

💰 9. Realistic & Justified Budget

• Budget must be:
  • Reasonable
  • Clearly linked to objectives

👉 Overly inflated or vague budgets reduce chances

📑 10. Compliance, Independence & Non-Promotional Nature

• Research must be:
  • Independent (for IITs/education grants)
  • Non-promotional and scientifically objective

👉 Strict compliance requirements are enforced

📊 Summary: Key Predictors (Ranked)

Highest impact factors:

1. Alignment with Novartis therapeutic areas
2. Translational/drug development relevance
3. Strategic fit with pipeline

Moderate predictors:
4. Investigator expertise
5. Scientific innovation
6. Feasibility

Supporting factors:
7. Collaboration potential
8. Infrastructure
9. Budget & compliance

💡 Insider Insight

Compared to other pharma funders:

👉 Novartis is highly pipeline-driven + collaboration-focused

• Key evaluation question:
  “Will this contribute to developing or improving a therapy?”
• Projects that:
  • Link to drug development + strong academic collaboration
    → have the highest success rates