The Swiss Leading House Africa is inviting applications for the Research Partnership Grants. The program supports Swiss researchers in building or strengthening collaborations with African partners through early-stage joint projects. Grants of up to CHF 40,000 are available, depending on career stage.

The study program is open to researchers at any career stage affiliated with a Swiss higher education or research institution. Applicants must collaborate with an African partner and be employed as scientists before, during, and after the project period.

The Swiss Leading House Africa, hosted by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH) in partnership with the University of Basel, manages Switzerland’s bilateral research cooperation with African institutions. Funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), it supports academic partnerships, joint research projects, and researcher mobility between Swiss and African institutions, fostering long-term scientific collaboration and capacity building.

Application Deadline: 30 September 2025

Brief Description

• University or Organization: Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), University of Basel

• Department: Swiss Leading House Africa

• Course Level: Research (any career stage)

• Award: CHF 15,000–40,000 (depending on career stage)

• Access Mode: Online

• Number of Awards: Varies

• Nationality: Open to researchers affiliated with eligible Swiss institutions and African partner institutions

• The award can be taken in: Switzerland and African partner countries

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries: Applicants must represent a partnership between Switzerland and any of the following African countries: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

• Acceptable Course or Subjects: The grant supports research in any academic discipline offered by the participating institutions.

• Admissible Criteria:

  • Applicants must be researchers affiliated with a Swiss higher education institution (including cantonal universities, federal institutes of technology, research institutes, universities of applied sciences, and universities of teacher education).

  • Swiss lead applicants must be employed as scientists before, during, and after the project duration.

  • Joint proposals must be developed collaboratively with an African partner.

  • The Swiss applicant will serve as the primary correspondent with the Leading House.

  • Career stage must be indicated:

    • Early Career: up to CHF 15,000

    • Intermediate Career: up to CHF 25,000

    • Advanced Career: up to CHF 40,000

How to Apply

Interested applicants must prepare and submit a joint proposal with their African partner by the deadline. All submissions must be made by the Swiss lead applicant. Detailed application guidelines, templates, and the online submission portal can be accessed through the Swiss Leading House Africa website.

Benefits

Successful applicants will receive funding to support research collaboration activities, including pilot research, joint workshops, mobility exchanges, and preparatory work for larger grant applications. The funding amount depends on the lead applicant’s career stage, with a maximum award of CHF 40,000.

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