Our various types of Funding Opportunities
Annual Call for Projects
In its annual call for projects the SNIS invites academic researchers active in international studies to submit project proposals. The winners of the highly competitive call can receive funding up to 300'000.- CHF for a maximum period of two years.
Projects must be coordinated by a Swiss institution of higher education / research (see list of qualifying institutions below) and address an academic question that transcends national boundaries (see definition of international studies). Additionally the projects must at least be pluri-disciplinary, collaboration with international organizations is considered an important asset. Please refer to the section "projects" and "funding opportunities" to become familiar with SNIS themes and the call procedure.
The International Geneva Award (AC Award)
The International Geneva Award has been established to encourage outstanding research scientists to produce publications that are particularly relevant for International Organisations. The Award is a prestigious academic distinction specifically created to promote links between Swiss academics and International Geneva.
The Award is given to the three best papers published on a subject related to International Studies and especially useful from the perspective of the Academic Council of International Geneva.
SNIS Award for the Best Thesis in International Studies
The SNIS Award has been established to encourage outstanding young research scientists at the beginning of their careers. The SNIS Award prizes the best Ph.D. thesis received in a Swiss University on a subject related to International Studies. The amount allocated by the SNIS is CHF 5’000.
Applications are judged by an ad hoc Committee appointed by the Governing Committee and composed of professors at Swiss Universities with expertise in one or several areas relevant to International Studies.
Ph.D. thesis can deal with a wide range of academic disciplines, such as political science, economics, sociology, social and cultural anthropology, law, history, geography, environmental sciences, and related areas.
Formal criteria provides that entrants must have received their Ph.D. degree in a Swiss University with "summa cum laudae" or a mark equal or superior to 5.5. in the calendar year of the respective Award edition.
Dr Benoît Pelopidas has been awarded with the SNIS Award 2010 for his Ph.D. thesis in political science obtained at the University of Geneva and the University of Paris (Institut d'études politiques), entitled
The seduction of the impossible, a study on the renunciation of nuclear weapons and the political authority of experts
(La séduction de l'impossible - Etude sur le renoncement à l'arme nucléaire et l'autorité politique des experts).
The next release of the SNIS Award for theses received in 2011 in a Swiss University will be take place by the end of the current year.