SNSF Pre-announcement: New NCCR call for social sciences and humanities coming soon

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) will launch a new call for National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR) by 6 July 2026, reserved exclusively for the field of social sciences and humanities (SSH). This initiative represents a major opportunity to develop interdisciplinary research programmes of strategic relevance that are internationally competitive.

National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) are one of the main instruments used by the Swiss Confederation to support research excellence in Switzerland. Their goal is to promote new research areas of strategic importance and strengthen existing ones through long-term programmes characterised by high scientific quality and strong institutional impact.

The new call follows the sixth NCCR series, which concluded in January 2026 with the approval of six new projects, none of which were in the field of social sciences and humanities. For this reason, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) has decided to allocate additional resources to an extraordinary call that will fund a single NCCR dedicated exclusively to the SSH sector. The selected project must be interdisciplinary in nature and involve two host institutions. The NCCR directors and subproject leaders must come predominantly from the social sciences and humanities, with the possibility of involving STEM and life sciences disciplines in a supporting capacity.

The call will open by 6 July 2026. The deadline for submitting the Letter of Intent is scheduled for September 2026, followed by the submission of outline proposals in October. Full proposals must be submitted in early 2027, with the final decision expected by the end of 2027. The launch of the new NCCR is planned between 2027 and 2028. NCCR funding generally provides support ranging from 8 to 20 million francs for the first four-year period, although the amount for this specific call may be lower. The total duration of the projects can extend from eight to twelve years. Host institutions are also required to make an adequate financial contribution of their own, totalling the funds requested from the SNSF.

Researchers interested in applying as directors or co-directors of an NCCR with USI as the host institution must secure the support of the Rectorate, both in terms of financial contributions and structural measures. NCCR programmes are aimed at scholars of recognised international standing and with proven experience in research management. Those wishing to participate in an NCCR as subproject leaders / Principal Investigators are invited to contact the USI Research Service to verify their eligibility and obtain the confirmation-of-employment letter required by the SNSF.

To present the call and answer questions from potential applicants, the SNSF and the EAER will host an online information webinar on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, from 11:00 to 12:00. For further information, please contact the USI Research Service at: servizio.ricerca@usi.ch