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FAQ

Proof of Concept

Application – General

As applicant, do I have access to specific supporting measures?

Yes, already during the preparation of the proposal, it is possible to benefit from the knowledge of a patent expert from the respective field of expertise during a day accompanied patent search. Please check the “Assisted Patent Search for the Promotion of Research and Innovation” section of our Patent searches page.

 

Is an agreement with my host institute concerning the regulation of intellectual property and rights of use a requirement for receiving funding?

No, the BRIDGE funding does not require such an agreement. However, you have to be aware of the current regulation applicable at your institute and within the scope of your contract in order to know your rights regarding the intellectual property of your innovation and your rights of use.

Do you treat the submitted proposals confidentially?

Yes, all persons involved in the evaluation of the proposals are bound to confidentiality.

In which fields do the evaluation panel experts work?

The panel members are composed of experts from science, business and industry. You can find the list of the members on our website.

Applicant and project requirements

We invented a new technology as a team and have been working on the concept together until now. Is it possible to apply to a BRIDGE Proof of Concept as several co-applicants?

The BRIDGE Proof of Concept is a one-person grant. Therefore, it is not possible to apply as several co-applicants. However, if compatible with the project, further persons can participate in the project as co-workers and profit from the funding granted to the applicant.

I did my Bachelor/Master/PhD at a non-Swiss institution. Can I still apply for a BRIDGE Proof of Concept project?

Yes, if you find a Swiss host institution that supports you for the duration of the project. Please carefully read Article 6 in the regulations.

Why can doctoral candidates not submit a proposal earlier than 6 months before obtaining their doctoral degree?

For the duration of the grant, you must dedicate your entire work-time corresponding to a work-time percentage of 100% to the approved project, i.e. you cannot commit to both your PhD and your Proof of Concept project at the same time. As the grantees must start their project within 6 months of the date on which the ruling was issued, candidates who will obtain their doctoral degree in more than 6 months are not eligible.

I finished my Bachelor/Master/PhD more than 4 years ago. Can I still apply for BRIDGE Proof of Concept funding?

BRIDGE would like to support young researchers to apply their recent research results. Therefore, the limitation to applicants max. 4 years after their respective graduation is strict.

Can I follow a parallel project or e.g. teach at my host institution during my BRIDGE Proof of Concept project?

We expect you to dedicate 100% of your time to your BRIDGE Proof of Concept project and entirely focus on the set goals.

Application – Budget

I am already in contact with an implementation partner. Can it directly benefit from BRIDGE Proof of Concept funding?

Companies or any other institution having commercial purposes cannot directly receive funding by BRIDGE. An implementation partner can however be considered as a collaboration partner.

Should I include the overhead contribution in my budget?

No, the overhead contributions are directly paid by the SNSF to the institution if your project is funded. It should not be considered in the budget you provide on mySNF.

What costs cannot be requested in the BRIDGE budget?

The following costs cannot be charged to the grant:

IT hardware and software, scientific literature, tools and aids, and objects comprising the usual basic equipment of an operational scientific facility;
Outlays for rent, electricity, water, insurances, maintenance and service, service centers and repairs;
General user fees of special infrastructure (e.g. cleanroom facilities);
Expenses for postage, phone calls, photocopies, translations, etc., are also not eligible.

Personal presentation

How long are the interviews?

The interviews will take 15 min in total, max. 10 min for the presentation and 5 min for questions & answers by the evaluation panel.

Can I bring along other persons to the interview?

No, candidates are interviewed individually.

I will not be able to come to Bern for the interview. Is it possible to participate via videoconference?

No, the panel would like to see the applicants in person. Please contact the BRIDGE Office if you are invited to an interview but are not able to attend.

Funding decision & Funded projects

When do you communicate the decision if my Proof of Concept project is funded or not?

In general, the evaluation process takes 3 months. If not stated differently, all decisions are communicated in the week before the earliest possible starting date (see the regulations, Article 17).

Where do I find the projects that have been funded?

Funded BRIDGE Proof of Concept projects of the different calls are published on our website under ”Projects”. You may also find the projects on the SNSF Data Portal.

Acknowledgement

How am I obliged to acknowledge BRIDGE in my presentations? In my publications?

Please use the phrase “funded by BRIDGE” to mention your BRIDGE grant in all scientific publications and communication activities. In addition, you are required to use the BRIDGE logo in presentations, brochures and videos as well as on posters and websites, adding whenever possible the phrase “funded by”.

Discovery

Application – General

What is the difference between an Innosuisse project without implementation partner from Innosuisse and a BRIDGE Discovery project?

An Innosuisse project without implementation partner aims mainly at preparing an Innosuisse innovation project with an already targeted implementation partner. For this reason, these projects are limited to 18 months. BRIDGE Discovery projects may include a larger scientific and research part without the requirement of having a defined implementation partner.

How important is the implementation strategy in the evaluation of the proposals?

As BRIDGE Discovery projects are directed towards innovation, it is important to provide a clear strategy how you plan to implement your scientific achievements on the market. We do not expect a full business plan, but key points of a business case (e.g. unique selling proposition (USP), existing market, market access, competitive environment, IP situation, regulatory situation, scalability, etc.) should be addressed.

Is an agreement with my host institute concerning the regulation of intellectual property and rights of use a requirement for receiving funding?

Yes, grantees are obliged to define such rights together with their employers in the form of an agreement before the start of the project. In BRIDGE Discovery projects that involve grantees from more than one institution, the institutions involved shall agree among themselves on ownership, rights and commercialisation strategies.

How many Discovery calls are there per year?

There is only one call per year. The current submission date is announced on the Bridge website.

Do you treat the submitted proposals confidentially?

Yes, all persons involved in the evaluation of the proposals are bound to confidentiality.

In which fields do the evaluation panel experts work?

The panel members are composed of experts from science, business and industry. You can find the list of the members on our website.

Application – Letter of Intent

What is the purpose of the Letter of Intent?

The Letter of Intent is a formal requirement for the submission of a full project proposal. The letter of intent is not evaluated but enables the BRIDGE Office to prepare for the forthcoming evaluation and plan the call.

Do I need to provide a definitive budget with the Letter of Intent?

No, the budget can be adjusted when submitting the full project proposal.

Can I submit a full proposal without having submitted a Letter of Intent?

No, the Letter of Intent is a prerequisite for the submission of a BRIDGE Discovery project proposal. If you miss the deadline for the Letter of Intent, you won’t be eligible to submit a full proposal.

Application – Budget

I am already in contact with an implementation partner. Can it directly benefit from BRIDGE Discovery funding?

Companies or any other institution having commercial purposes cannot directly receive funding by BRIDGE. An implementation partner can however be considered as a collaboration partner.

Can project partners benefit from BRIDGE Discovery funding?

Project partners are researchers who contribute to a research project through cooperation without being responsible for the project. Within the scope of their contributions, such as analyses etc., project partners benefit from the BRIDGE grant (see the regulations, Article 7 and 11).

Should I include the overhead contribution in my budget?

No, the overhead contributions are directly paid by the SNSF to the institution if your project is funded. It should not be considered in the budget you provide on mySNF.

What costs cannot be requested in the BRIDGE budget?

The following costs cannot be charged to the grant:

IT hardware and software, scientific literature, tools and aids, and objects comprising the usual basic equipment of an operational scientific facility;
Outlays for rent, electricity, water, insurances, maintenance and service, service centers and repairs;
General user fees of special infrastructure (e.g. cleanroom facilities);
Expenses for postage, phone calls, photocopies, translations, etc., are also not eligible.

Personal presentation

How long are the interviews?

The interviews will take 22 min in total, max. 12 min for the presentation and 10 min for questions & answers by the evaluation panel.

Can I bring along other persons to the interview?

Yes, it is expected that all the applicants are present.

Funding decision & Funded projects

When do you communicate the decision if my Discovery project is funded or not?

In general, the evaluation process takes 7 months. If not stated differently, all decisions are communicated in the month before the earliest possible starting date (see the regulations, Article 20).

Before the release of funds, what document is expected in the section “Confirmation of IP Agreement”?

In case you are applying as a consortium, you must provide a document confirming that you came to an agreement or are working on an IP agreement between all the institutes applying for the grant. The agreement itself is not required, only a written confirmation of the existence of such an agreement. A template is provided.

Where do I find the projects that have been funded?

Funded BRIDGE Discovery projects of the different calls are published on our website under ”Projects”. You may also find the projects on the SNSF Data Portal.

Acknowledgement

How am I obliged to acknowledge BRIDGE in my presentations? In my publications?

Please use the phrase “funded by BRIDGE” to mention your BRIDGE grant in all scientific publications and communication activities. In addition, you are required to use the BRIDGE logo in presentations, brochures and videos as well as on posters and websites, adding whenever possible the phrase “funded by”.