Research Fund Junior Researchers — Research Program

Research Fund Junior Researchers is a University of Basel grant for outstanding early-career researchers pursuing academic careers. It supports dissertation completion, independent postdoctoral projects, and clinical or biomedical research led by junior physicians.

Most supported work is based in the applicant’s University of Basel or affiliated Basel research environment, while one clinical route can fund a year abroad. The September 2026 round allows funding to begin no earlier than 1 December 2026.

Benefits & funding

Applicants may request up to CHF 80,000.
Doctoral completion funding covers the applicant’s salary at an 87% employment level for up to 12 months.
Postdoctoral funding can run for up to 24 months and may cover the applicant’s salary, a staff member’s salary, release from other duties, and limited project consumables.
For postdocs, eligible consumables are capped at 10% of the requested salary amount while the total grant remains capped at CHF 80,000.
Clinical routes can support research leave, a Basel-based project, or, under the relevant conditions, a year abroad.

Eligibility

Applicants must be outstanding early-career researchers pursuing an academic career and must fit one of the published doctoral, postdoctoral, or clinical routes.
Eligible doctoral candidates must be matriculated at the University of Basel as their home institution in Theology, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Economics, educational sciences, or social or organizational psychology; funding is normally for the fourth year, with justified exceptions through the fifth year.
Doctoral candidates in structural research associate positions are not eligible.
Postdocs from all faculties must be employed at the University of Basel, a Basel university hospital, or an associated institute at the deadline, and their doctorate must have been defended within the previous eight net academic years; assistant professors and habilitated researchers are excluded.
Resident and attending physicians must meet the relevant clinical pathway conditions, have completed the state examination or equivalent within the previous 14 years, and must not have begun habilitation; some routes also require two years of full-time employment at a University of Basel hospital, including one year in Basel.
Eligibility is based on academic stage and Basel affiliation; the published rules do not state a nationality or country-residency requirement.

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Application process

1
Enter a new project in the University of Basel Grants Tool under University of Basel Forschungsfonds and Forschungsfonds (Excellent Junior Researcher), complete the budget, and request departmental infrastructure confirmation by 15 August for the September round.
2
After departmental approval, use the personalized link sent by email to complete the online application form.
3
Upload the required reason for applying, CV, career plan, publication list, degrees, research plan, budget, and route-specific support letters and approvals.
4
Submit the complete application electronically by 12:00 noon on 1 September 2026; incomplete or late applications are not considered.

Program timeline

Grants Tool entry and departmental confirmation request due for the September round.
Aug 15, 2026
Complete application due by 12:00 noon.
Sep 1, 2026
The selection process is usually completed.
By the end of November 2026
Earliest possible funding start for the September round.
Dec 1, 2026