SPI Technogrants

The call for proposals is now closed. Thank you very much for your submissions. The next call will open in summer 2025.

About the SPI Technogrants

The SPI Technogrants support Swiss groups developing technologies relevant for research in polar regions (and other extreme environments such as remote high-altitude regions). SPI Technogrants can support new technological developments but also serve to improve and adapt existing technologies to extreme environments. In particular, SPI Technogrants can be used to develop clean technologies increasing sustainability and lowering the environmental footprint of polar and high-altitude research whilst maximising scientific efforts in these regions.

Eligible costs and financial support

The grants can cover costs of up to CHF 75,000.- per successfully evaluated project. A detailed budget will be requested from each applicant. For this year (2024), the total budget allocated to SPI Technogrants will be capped at CHF 150,000.-. The grants can be used to complement the funding of initiatives supported by larger funding schemes (e.g. SNSF, EU, etc.).

Eligible costs:
All costs related to the conception, development, field testing (especially in the extreme environments of polar or remote high-altitude regions in which it is supposed to operate), upgrading and adjusting of science support technologies in accordance with the general aim of the SPI Technogrants. Travel and logistics costs for field testing purposes are also eligible. The SPI considers the offset of carbon emissions as an eligible cost, if not an option offered by the institution of affiliation of the applicant (see below for more details on the eligibility conditions of carbon compensation).

Non-eligible costs:
Costs relating to salaries of permanent academic positions, overhead as well as the acquisition of long-term assets (as opposed to consumables required for the project).

Target public

The SPI Technogrants are complementary to the Polar Access Fund and SPI Exploratory Grants. Consequently, eligibility will be restricted to Swiss led projects with a focus on technological development and that are relevant for research in polar regions (and other extreme environments in remote high-altitude regions). The grants are open from Master’s students to senior researchers based at a Swiss public research institution.

Applications are submitted by a Principal Investigator (PI) who will be SPI’s contact person within his/her institution. In case of a submission by a Master’s student, the application has to be overseen by a supervisor. Private companies and start-ups are eligible to join the project as partners but should work within a project coordinated by a PI employed at a Swiss public research institution. SPI cannot support projects coordinated by private companies.

Geographic focus

The SPI Technogrants fund the development of technology relevant for polar science, the Arctic and Antarctic, according to the SPI’s focus on high latitude. This includes technologies to be deployed in the field but also those supporting remote acquisition of data. In addition to high latitude poles, SPI supports research as defined above in remote high-altitude regions with complex logistics (e.g. the Andes or the Himalayas). In specific cases, field testing of new technologies can take place in closer comparable environments such as the Alps.

Environmental impact

In view of promoting innovative and sustainable research methods, applicants are asked to take a thoughtful approach weighing the benefits of the proposed technology development, such as innovative sustainable research methods for polar and high-altitude research, against the environmental impact of the project. While some projects have a greater environmental footprint than others, efforts made by applicants to reduce it must be made explicit in submitted proposals. The offset of carbon emissions should only be applied once all options to avoid and reduce emissions have been exhausted.

Eligibility

Applicants are reminded to study the eligibility rules for this call closely. Ineligible applications will not be submitted for evaluation. To be eligible, proposals must notably respect the call’s general aims, the definition of the call’s target public, eligible costs as well as its geographic focus.

Submission

A complete application file consists of:

  • Attachments to be uploaded into the online application form as PDF:
    • Letters of support
    • CVs of the applicant and main partners, incl. publication lists as PDF

(compulsory – free format, max 4 pages per person)

All application documents must be uploaded through the online application form. Applications sent by email will not be accepted. Incomplete proposals will be considered ineligible.

The deadline for submission will be 3 October 2024 (12:00 noon Swiss time). The online application form will be closed on the deadline date. No late applications will be accepted – no exceptions!

Should you encounter any problem in the submission process, contact: . Please note however that troubleshooting in the last minutes before the deadline cannot be guaranteed.

Evaluation

Eligible proposals submitted before the deadline will be evaluated by an independent scientific panel appointed by the SPI.

Particular attention will be paid on development aspects of technology within the project as opposed to the purchase/minor adaptation of existing instruments and technologies.

The proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. Technological novelty and potential (disruption)
  2. Impact of the proposed technology on polar science (added value)
  3. Impact of the requested funding on the development process
  4. Feasibility of the project
  5. Potential of the applicant(s)/consortium

NB Sound efforts to maximise the scientific outputs of proposed projects while minimising their environmental footprint will also be considered during the evaluation process. This is not intended to discriminate projects and disciplines that have fewer options to minimise their environmental footprint but solely to stimulate reflection on the environmental impact of the proposed project and to promote sustainability in polar research.

Evaluation results will be transmitted to applicants approximately four months after the application deadline. Successful applicants will receive a grant agreement (contract) from SPI specifying the conditions of the grant (reporting, payments, etc.).

For more information on projects funded by SPI, including through the SPI Technogrants, visit our project database.

For any additional information or clarification, please contact: ">.