Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung (SNF)

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is the most important Swiss institution for the promotion of scientific research. It supports around 7,000 scientists every year, more than 5,000 of whom are aged 35 or under. On behalf of the federal government, it promotes basic research in all scientific disciplines, from philosophy to biology and medicine to the nanosciences. It also invests in practice-oriented research in various areas. At the heart of its activities is the scientific evaluation of projects submitted by researchers. The best of these are supported by the SNSF with a total of around CHF 500 million per year. To ensure the necessary independence for the promotion of research, the SNSF was established in 1952 as a foundation under private law. It supports basic research mainly in the form of individual projects and is committed to promoting young scientists. It also ensures that Swiss research can develop under the best conditions internationally and is committed to dialog with society, politics and business.