Frequently asked questions
PIONEER-Spark
Co-applicants and responsibilities
What is meant with “tenured full professorship”, allowing to apply in “Lead-PI” and “Co-Lead-PI” position?
As there are multiple constructs of professorships in Switzerland, especially in the clinical associated settings, there is value in further defining what is meant with “tenured full professorship”, allowing to apply in “Lead-PI” and “Co-Lead-PI” position.
Requirements are:
1. Tenured university professorship (at level above assistant professor).
2. Full member with voting rights of a Medical Faculty (or Natural Science Faculty).
3. With the professorship position structurally associated, dedicated relevant time for independent, self-determined research (at least 30% outside of regular patient care and clinical administration).
What are the responsibilities of the Lead PI applicant toward the Foundation?
The Lead PI will be responsible for all operational, scientific, reporting and financial aspects of the project for its duration. The funds will be paid out to the home institution of the Lead PI applicant, whose responsibility it is to allocate the funds to the other participating institutions / co-applicants.
Can a member of the Directorate (i.e., Lead PI, Co-Lead PIs) participate in more than one HHF grant scheme at the same time?
No. Lead PI and Co-Lead PIs may hold these roles in only one HHF grant scheme at a time. I.e., if a person is a Lead PI or Co-Lead PI in an ongoing CONPRO project, they are not eligible to apply to PIONEER in the same roles or to participate as co-applicants (i.e., Co-PI, Collaborator), and vice versa. Also, a Lead-PI or Co-Lead PI cannot be participating in a second PIONEER-Spark application in Lead/Co-Lead-PI functions.
Can there be two Lead PIs applicants (e.g., from different hospitals)?
No, the Foundation requests a single responsible Lead PI for operational, reporting and financial purposes. Minimum one and up to two Co-Lead PIs can be designated who are jointly responsible for the scientific and managerial leadership of the project and act respectively as first and second deputy to the Lead PI.
Must Lead and Co-Lead PIs be employed at different institutions?
It is not required, but it would be preferred that the directorates represent at least two different home institutions. Each university-university hospital pair counts as one home institution (e.g., UniBE/Inselspital; UZH/USZ; UniBasel/USB; UNIL/CHUV; UNIGE/HUG; USI/EOC). EPFL and ETHZ each count as one institution.
Is it possible to apply as Co-PI or Collaborator in several PIONEER-Spark projects?
Yes. Co-applicants in the roles of Co-PIs and Collaborators can participate in several PIONEER-Spark projects, subject to demonstrating sufficient capacity and non-overlapping commitments.
Are non-faculty member Professors eligible to apply?
Yes, they are eligible to apply as Collaborators.
Supported Research
Does a project have to address both pillars?
No. A project may address either pillar 1 or pillar 2, or it may address both. Any of these combinations is acceptable, provided it aligns with the scope of the call.
Types of applicants (e.g., internationality, private sector)
Can projects from outside Switzerland be supported?
In general, the project must be predominantly pursued in Switzerland. Within the consortium, maximum 2 out of possible 5 Co-PIs (40%) may be employed outside Switzerland, when scientifically well justified. Collaborators may also be based outside Switzerland where their contribution is essential and clearly justified. However, the core activities of the project must remain anchored in Switzerland.
Can clinical trials by (international) biotech / pharma companies be funded?
The Foundation is currently not in the position to fund clinical trials led by a biotech or pharma company but focuses its efforts on research within an academic setting (investigator-initiated trials, IITs) that combines clinical and basic scientific (experimental and computational) approaches.
Size, Duration and Budget
Does HHF also accept proposals that are shorter than 6 years?
No. Proposals must be designed for the full six-years funding period. Shorter projects are not eligible under this call.
What is the earliest and latest dates the project should start?
The project may start as early as 01.07.2027 and no later than 01.12.2027.
Is preference given to proposals requiring smaller budget?
No. All proposals are subject to the same evaluation criteria and procedure.
What level of detail is required for the budget?
In the pre-proposal, a breakdown of costs into personnel, consumables/equipment and others for the desired period is required. It must be apparent from the submitted materials how the funds are allocated across institutions, group leaders and specific research activities.
What administrative costs for project management should be part of the budget?
Administrative costs that are «unique» to the project can be covered (e.g., recruiting patients for a clinical trial, organizing Institutional Review Boards (IRB) permits, logging and managing data, salary for project administration/coordination personnel etc.). Administrative costs that are part of a functioning research and translational environment (also necessary for other projects, such as fiscal reporting, ordering, HR procedures, general IT etc.) cannot be charged to the grant (the «usual» overheads). We expect that the environment in which the grantees work will support this (in-kind contribution).
Does the grant support the acquisition of major equipment for the project?
Large research infrastructure (e.g., high-end microscopes or comparable instruments) is expected to be provided by the host institution as part of its core facilities. The project budget may include annual costs for the use of existing infrastructure/core facilities or rental of equipment, where essential to the project.
In exceptional cases, the purchase of a specific piece of equipment may be considered if:
it is demonstrably required exclusively for the proposed project, and
the applicant can clearly justify that acquisition is more cost-effective than rental or service access.
Such cases must be explicitly justified in the budget and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Host institution eligibility, role and support
What are the tasks of a host institution?
The host institutions shall make available necessary space, including offices, laboratories, clinical facilities (including clinical trial units), as well as standard IT, access to patient data, where appropriate. The institution of each co-applicant should support the PIONEER-Spark project during its entire duration and confirm that the project objectives are compatible with their long-term strategic planning.
Application
What is the guidance regarding figures?
Applicants may include figures in their PDF submissions where relevant – for example to illustrate preliminary findings, conceptual frameworks or methodological approaches. Please adhere to the following guidance:
Figures should be integrated and serve to complement the written narrative.
The page count should be respected, and figures should not be used to circumvent textual limitations.
Ensure all visual elements are clearly labelled, legible and appropriately referenced in the text.
Which language shall the application be in?
English.