Lead Agency agreement with France continued

Thanks to the Lead Agency agreement, research projects involving Swiss and French partners can be submitted to a single funding body, the Lead Agency. The partner organisation recognises the funding decision, reached by the Lead Agency in consultation with the partner, and finances the part of the project that is realised in its country.

SNSF: Lead Agency in 2016

According to the agreement between the SNSF and the ANR, the Lead Agency alternates between the two organisations; the relative importance of the national sub-projects is immaterial. In 2016, the SNSF will assume the role of Lead Agency for Franco-Swiss projects. Based on the results of the SNSF evaluation, the two organisations will make the relevant funding decisions. The ANR will make sure that the success rate of Franco-Swiss projects is comparable with its own success rates.

Lead Agency principle

Under the Lead Agency procedure, joint applications can be submitted to one of the research funding organisations. The application must comply with the usual local requirements and the same rules of participation as national projects. Lead Agency applications are evaluated in the same way and at the same time as normal SNSF applications; there is no special or additional budget for Lead Agency projects. The Lead Agency informs its partner organisation about the submitted application, so that researchers are not required to submit the entire application twice.

Submission of applications as in project funding

Applications under the Lead Agency procedure can be submitted to the SNSF in line with its current project funding calendar by no later than 1 April 2016. The same conditions for submission apply as in project funding, in particular with regard to thematic overlaps with ongoing projects.