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All funding instruments of the Leading House South Asia and Iran

Find out about all the available funding instruments for research collaboration with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Research Partnership Grants

Research Partnership Grants aim to offer support to Swiss researchers who are interested in entering into research collaborations with institutional partners located in any of the nine countries that fall within the mandate region of this Leading House: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The grants have three main purposes:

Applications are accepted from applicants who are permanent residents of Switzerland and have an employment contract with a federal or cantonal university, a university of applied sciences, a university of teacher education or any officially recognised research institute in Switzerland (in accordance with the listings on the SERI website). Calls are open for activities in all scientific disciplines and research fields. Applicants should, however, be able to demonstrate that their project will be sustainable by gaining access to external funding once the grant period comes to an end. Any further eligibility criteria will be detailed whenever a call for grants is published.

Currently no open calls

The 2023 Call for Research Partnership Grants with South Asia and Iran is now closed. There are currently no open calls for grants. These will be published on this website and via the Newsletter (subscription below).

Academia-Industry Training

The Academia-Industry Training (AIT) India programme is an innovation-based funding instrument of the Leading House South Asia and Iran. It is open to 10 sciencepreneurs who are looking to discover the market potential of their applied research project in India as well as their entrepreneurial potential.

At the Swiss-Indian Entrepreneurship Day 2023, 11 startups pitched in front of other entrepreneurs, investors and an interested audience. In the video, AIT India 2022 participants, coaches and experts talk about the programme, its benefits and impact.

The AIT India programme allows young scientists to validate their innovative concepts in direct contact with peers, experts and business representatives in Switzerland and India. The objective is to enable researchers to gain a better understanding of the potential market viability of their research concept and thereby allow them to refine their concept accordingly. In addition, it allows them to expand their international network and develop their own entrepreneurial skills. The two most promising projects will win CHF 10,000.00 each to grow and internationalise their businesses.

Who should apply?

We welcome applications from founding members of science-based Swiss startups with a high level of market potential. This programme is tailored for Master’s students, PhD students, postdocs and researchers from Swiss universities, universities of applied sciences, universities of teacher education, research institutes and centres of technological excellence who are pursuing a concrete business opportunity based on their research. Please see our 2023 flyer for more information on the details of the programme(PDF 6,0 MB).

How to apply

Applications are now closed for the 2023 programme. If you would like to be informed whenever the Leading House announces a new call, please register for our newsletter.

Hear directly from previous participants

In this video, Anand Verma, Founder and CEO of Perovskia Solar, talks about his participation in the 2022 edition of the programme.
In this video, Prachi Kharb, Director and COO of Life and Limb (India), talks about her participation in the 2022 edition of the programme.

Symposia and workshops

Swiss researchers planning to organise a symposium or workshop with partner organisations in any country in South Asia or Iran may approach the Leading House to find out more about funding possibilities.

Stay informed

If you would like to be informed whenever a call for proposal is announced, please register here:

Registration Form Leading House South Asia and Iran