Funding
Find funding, fuel discovery
Explore a comprehensive overview of funding opportunities for neurodegenerative disease research, featuring both Swiss and international sources. The platform offers detailed information on project grants, fellowships, awards, and mobility grants, while highlighting active calls to help researchers, institutes, and startups in securing vital financial resources. Key funding partners driving progress in neurodegenerative disease research are also featured.
Ongoing Calls
Deadline April
Principal Investigator Grants
Category: Fellowship
Focus: Supports independent principal investigators at Swiss institutions. Funded projects span basic, translational or clinical research, addressing neurodegenerative diseases, including disease mechanisms, early diagnosis, therapies or prevention. Interdisciplinary and collaborative projects are encouraged.
Amount: 300'000 CHF up to 3 years
Eligibility: Principal investigators working at Swiss universities or non-commercial research institutions, who have not received funding from the Synapsis Foundation for at least one year at the time of submission
Deadline: Letter of intent: 08.04.2026
Career Development Award
Category: Fellowship
Focus: Supports postdoctoral researchers in dementia research, helping them transition to independent faculty roles in Switzerland or EMBO member countries. Funded projects span basic, translational or clinical research, addressing neurodegenerative diseases, including disease mechanisms, early diagnosis, therapies or prevention. The award comprises two phases: a postdoctoral fellowship (Phase 1) and faculty position support (Phase 2). Top applicants may be selected for the Race Against Dementia Fellowship, which includes additional training.
Amount:
- Phase 1: 100'000 CHF per year for up to 3 years
- Phase 2: 100'000 CHF per year up to 2 years
Eligibility: Advanced postdoctoral scientists (3–5 years of experience) at Swiss institutions.
Deadline: Letter of intent: 08.04.2026
Digital and Non-Pharmacological Approaches for Dementia Prevention, Diagnosis and Care in Real-World Settings
Category: Project Funding
Focus: Supports projects that develop and validate digital and non-pharmacological innovations aimed at preventing dementia, improving its early detection and enhancing treatment and care for people living with the condition.
Amount:
- Pilot Grants: max. 100’000 CHF for one year
- Consolidator Grants: max. 250’000 CHF for up to three years
Eligibility: Researchers working at Swiss universities or non-commercial research institutions, who have not received funding from the Synapsis Foundation for at least one year at the time of submission.
Deadline: Letter of intent: 08.04.2026
BRIDGE Discovery
Category: Project Funding
Focus: Supports experienced researchers in Switzerland who aim to transform their research findings into innovative solutions with significant societal or economic impact.
Amount: Max. 850'000 CHF for four years.
Eligibility: Researchers affiliated with Swiss research institutions, capable of independently leading a project and employed with at least a 50% workload can apply individually or in small consortia.
Deadline: 28.04.2026
Deadline May
SNSF Starting Grant
Category: Fellowship
Focus: The SNSF Starting Grants provide researchers with the opportunity to lead and manage their own projects and research teams in Switzerland. This funding is open to researchers across all disciplines and topics.
Amount: Up to CHF 1 million up to 5 years
Eligibility: Researchers with 2 to 8 years of post-PhD experience or 5 to 12 years after medical degree, who have not yet led independent research in Switzerland
Deadline: 05.05.2026
Swiss National MD-PhD Fellowships Program
Category: Fellowship
Focus: The National MD-PhD Grants Program, coordinated by the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) with support from private foundations, aims to equip medical doctors interested in research with the skills necessary for a career as clinician-scientists. The program offers grants to particularly talented young physicians to complete doctoral research training in natural sciences, public health sciences, clinical research, or biomedical ethics at a Swiss university associated with the national MD-PhD program.
Amount: 2-3 years of funding, based on SNSF salary scales for PhD candidates
Eligibility: Physicians (with a MD) in Switzerland pursuing a MD-PhD at a Swiss university associated with the national program.
Deadline: 15.05.2026
Immune Profiling Insights Program
Category: Project Funding
Focus: Supports research that deepens understanding of how specific components of the immune system contribute to Parkinson’s disease risk, onset and progression.
Amount: Requested support should be commensurate with the work proposed.
Eligibility: Researchers and clinicians from U.S. and non-U.S. biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies, public and private non-profit institutions (universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, government units). Postdoctoral fellows cannot apply as PIs.
Deadline: 15.05.2026
Deadline June
Young Talents in Clinical Research
Agency: and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation
Category: Fellowship
Focus: The program supports young medical doctors to start out in patient-oriented research thanks to protected time and consecutive small project grants.
Amount:
- Beginner grant: Up to 75’000 CHF;
- Project grant: Up to 40’000 CHF per year for 2 years
Eligibility: Medical doctors working in Switzerland within 5 years of their state medical exam.
Deadline: 30.06.2026
Deadline July
Age-Stiftung Förderantrag
Category: Project Funding (German speaking part of Switzerland)
Focus: Supports diverse project initiatives that benefit older people and enable the implementation of sustainable solutions, with particular emphasis on approaches that address people in vulnerable life situations or fragile phases.
Amount: Varies
Eligibility: Applied research, institutions, communities, projects
Deadline: 21.07.2026
Deadline August
Postdoc.mobility (SNSF)
Category: Mobility grant
Focus: The Postdoc.Mobility program is designed to support researchers who have completed their doctoral studies and are looking to advance their careers by pursuing research abroad.
Amount: The amount of the fellowship depends on the cost of living in the country of residence.
Eligibility: Early career researchers (before 3 years after PhD)
Deadline: 04.08.2026
EAN Research Fellowship 2026
Category: Mobility grant
Focus: It supports research projects in basic, clinical or applied neuroscience, conducted in a European academic neurology department outside the applicant’s country of residence.
Amount: €2,000 per month, plus travel expenses of up to €500.
Eligibility: Applicants must be European neurologists with active RRFS or Full EAN membership, having ≥ 2 years residency (training fellowship) or up to 5 years post‑graduation (full membership route), and plan their project in a host country other than their country of residence.
Deadline: 31.08.2026
Deadline September
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship
Category: Mobility Grant
Focus: Supports researchers aiming to enhance their potential through advanced training and international, interdisciplinary, and inter-sectoral mobility.
Amount: Depending on country
Eligibility: Researcher holding a PhD (max 8 year of post PhD experience)
Deadline: 09.09.2026
Drug Development RFP
Category: Project funding
Focus: Supports non-clinical studies and early-phase clinical trials that test promising pharmacological interventions and devices for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Amount: Up to 5'000'000$
Eligibility: Universities, start ups, companies, nonprofit organisation
Deadline: 14.09.2026
Neuroimaging and CSF Biomarker Program
Prevention
Category: Project funding
Focus: Supports studies on cognitive symptoms linked to health conditions, comparative effectiveness research, and epidemiological investigations examining how drug use or choice influences the risk of dementia or cognitive decline.
Amount: Up to 5'000'000$
Eligibility: Universities, start ups, companies, nonprofit organisation
Deadline: 14.09.2026
ERC Proof of Concept
Category: Project funding
Focus: Supports the validation and development of innovative ideas stemming from ERC-funded projects, extending their impact beyond the original research scope
Amount: € 150,000 for 18 months
Eligibility: All Principal Investigators holding an ERC Frontier Research Grant (Starting, Consolidator, Advanced, or Synergy)
Deadline: 17.09.2026
Deadline October
Project Funding (SNSF)
Category: Project Funding
Focus: Supports independent research projects in Switzerland, offering substantial funding for one to four years. It enables researchers to explore both disciplinary and interdisciplinary topics, whether individually or through collaborative efforts.
Amount: Up to CHF 250,000 per year per applicant. Maximum CHF 1 million annually for the entire project.
Eligibility: Researchers (4 years after PhD) working at Swiss universities or other eligible institutions.
Deadline: 01.10.2026
Swiss funding agencies
Vontobel Stiftung
supports researchers by funding social, scientific and dialogue-enhancing projects that focus on social welfare, nature and science, medical research and cultural initiatives. The foundation aims to support early-career researchers working at established research institutions. Funding covers salaries for PhD candidates and postdoctoral researchers, as well as justified material and laboratory costs. Projects initiated by other foundations are not supported.