To ensure all institutions benefitting from SPI funding contribute to the Swiss Polar Institute’s sustainability, the SPI Foundation Board introduces two changes in the eligibility towards SPI grants. These changes will apply to all projects selected from 2027 onwards. They will affect the scientists affiliated with Swiss research institutions and universities that are not members of the Swiss Polar Institute and who wish to apply for SPI funding.
Reduced access to privately funded expeditions and initiatives
The calls for proposals and activities exclusively funded through private funds and philanthropy will remain available only to scientists affiliated with SPI member institutions: EPFL, ETH Zurich, University of Bern, University of Lausanne, University of Zurich, and WSL. This includes but is not limited to privately funded scientific expeditions co-organised by SPI and extraordinary calls for proposals providing access to infrastructure or project funding. Initiatives or expeditions exclusively open to scientists from SPI member institutions will be clearly identified.
Access to SPI services and courses remains open
SPI services (access to field pharmacies, advice on permitting, etc) and access to SPI courses remain open to all scientists based at Swiss research institutions.
Access to publicly funded grants remains open
The eligibility criteria remain unchanged for regular calls for proposals that benefit from public funding such as the Polar Access Fund, the SPI Exploratory Grants and the SPI Technogrants.
However, grant applications from non-member institutions will be subject to a fee to cover SPI administrative costs. The fee amount will be defined in each call for proposals, will be listed as a non-eligible cost and will be automatically deducted from the first grant instalment to minimise the administrative burden. The fee will only apply to successful proposals selected for funding.
Furthermore, the SPI Flagship Initiative consortia remain open to all, but the leadership position of Principal Investigator will be restricted to researchers affiliated with member institutions.
For 2027, the following recurring SPI funding instruments benefit from public funding and will remain open to all:
- SPI Flagship Initiatives: multi-annual programmes combining science and technology projects
- Polar Access Fund: for early-career researchers
- SPI Exploratory Grants: for pilot projects and new collaborations
- SPI Technogrants: cleantech and innovation for polar science
- PolARTS: for art-science tandems
- Konrad Steffen Grant: international collaboration initiative between Greenland and Switzerland
- Field and Summer Schools: access to training for early-career researchers
Details about access rules and eligibility principles will be clearly stated in each call for proposals.
For further information or any questions, please contact .
Header photo: Pancake ice. © 2017 Parafilms/EPFL, Sharif Mirshak, all rights reserved