Category Archives: News/Events Switzerland

News/Events Australia, News/Events Switzerland

Launch of Australian–Swiss Joint Research Programme (AI in Healthcare)

The Australian–Swiss Joint Research Programme (2026 call), a new funding opportunity jointly implemented by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), was launched on the 18th of March 2026. This is the first ever joint call taking place between Switzerland and Australia.

This call supports Joint Research Projects (JRPs) between Swiss and Australian research teams and builds on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two agencies in September 2025.

The focus of the 2026 call is:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with particular emphasis on research benefiting underrepresented populations (including diverse sex, gender, and sexual orientations).

Indicative topics include:

  • AI for clinical decision support (diagnosis and treatment planning)
  • Addressing bias in medical training data
  • Trustworthy and interpretable AI in healthcare
  • Applications in gender medicine

Projects must involve at least one partner in Switzerland and one in Australia, and should propose ambitious, innovative approaches. Funding is provided on a bilateral basis, with the SNSF covering the Swiss component and NHMRC the Australian side.

Key parameters:

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Funding (Swiss side): up to CHF 400,000 per project
  • Up to 10 projects expected to be funded
  • Deadline: 17 June 2026 (17:00 CEST)

Direct Links:

SNSF: https://www.snf.ch/en/SXw5p2SWrG7IDtpJ/funding/australian-swiss-joint-research-programme

NHMRC: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/funding/find-funding/swiss-national-science-foundation

 

News/Events Australia, News/Events Switzerland

Leading House Asia Pacific Funding Call 2025 now open

The Leading House Asia Pacific Funding Call 2025 is now open.

The program provide seed-funding support for joint research projects, policy engagement and PhD mobility between Switzerland and the Asia-Pacific. The initiative welcomes applications from Swiss-based researchers to collaborate with research, policy or innovation partners in any of the Asia-Pacific countries that form part of the Leading House mandate. The 2025 call offers two funding lines, a Scientific Collaboration Fund and a Mobility Fund.

The Scientific Collaboration Fund invites proposals for projects developing ambitious research networks or addressing important policy challenges.

The Mobility Fund supports short-term mobility for PhD researchers, including lab-to-lab exchanges (reciprocal mobility) and placements in collaboration with academic start-ups.

Partner institutions are eligible if they are based in: 

Australia, New Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN member states (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam).

Deadline for applications: 8 March 2026 (17:00 CET)

Learn more here: https://www.global.uzh.ch/en/Leading-House-Asia-Pacific/funding-call-2025.html

News/Events Australia, News/Events Switzerland

Swisscham Awards: Nominations for Science/Research/Education

The Swiss Awards is an annual program which aims to recognise excellence of Swiss businesses, organisations and individuals in Australia. The Awards acknowledge the important and distinguished contributions to the image of Switzerland in Australia and to the growth of Swiss-Australian relations.

Nomination are open to the following categories:
1. Established business
2. Science/Research/Education
3. Newcomer/Rising Star
4. One of the winners of each category will also be chosen as the overall Swiss Awards Winner.

Please note, you can only compete in ONE of the categories! Click here to see all previous winners since 2012!

Focus Areas for all categories:

  • Link to Switzerland – Australia
  • Innovation, Technology, Design, Quality, Reliability, Success,
  • Sustainability, Originality/Uniqueness, Contribution to Society,
  • Social Responsibility (corporate or otherwise)

Registration closes: 31st October 2025
Awards Night: 12th February 2026

Click here to start the nomination process

 

 

News/Events Australia, News/Events Switzerland

Swiss Mobility Scholarships Now Open

Three prestigious Swiss mobility programs are now open for applications, offering Australian students the opportunity to study and conduct research in Switzerland — a global hub for innovation, academic excellence, and international collaboration.

  1. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

Each year, the Swiss Confederation awards scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation. These scholarships are open to young researchers from all academic disciplines who wish to pursue postgraduate studies or research in Switzerland.

  1. ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships

The ThinkSwiss programme provides students with the chance to gain hands-on research experience at Swiss universities and research institutions. This year, eligibility has been expanded beyond Australia to also include students from select Pacific Island countries (Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji).

  1. Mertz Fellowship

The Mertz Fellowship supports outstanding students in Polar Research to undertake research in Switzerland, strengthening academic ties and fostering the next generation of leaders in science and innovation.

These three programs open exceptional pathways for students to immerse themselves in Switzerland’s cutting-edge research environment, while building valuable academic and professional networks.

For detailed information, eligibility criteria, and application procedures, please visit: https://headstartswiss.au/

News/Events Australia, News/Events Switzerland, Uncategorized

Leading House for Asia Pacific – new funding opportunities for collaborative research

Exciting news for Australia-Switzerland research collaboration!

Australia is now part of the Leading House for the Asia-Pacific region, and the University of Zurich (UZH) has been appointed to lead this initiative from 2025 to 2028.
Under a mandate from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), UZH will foster scientific, educational, and innovation collaborations between Switzerland and 15 countries across the region, including Australia and New Zealand.
This is a major opportunity for Australian researchers, universities, and industry partners to engage in joint projects with Switzerland’s world-class research ecosystem.
The benefits for Australian-Swiss collaboration include:
✅ New funding opportunities for joint research projects and mobility grants (coming later this year)
✅ Stronger academic and industry connections between Australia and Switzerland
✅ Access to Swiss innovation ecosystems across various disciplines
✅ Enhanced collaboration in key research areas such as quantum technologies, environmental science, health, and more

With Australia already one of Switzerland’s top research partners globally, this initiative will strengthen and expand existing ties between our two countries. Stay tuned for upcoming funding calls and partnership opportunities!

Visit UZH Global Affairs (https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/news/2025/Leading-House-Asia-Pacific.html) for more details

News/Events Switzerland

Webinar 23 October – Australia’s medtech market opportunities

Understanding and leveraging Australia’s medtech market opportunities
This webinar will provide an overview of the Australian healthcare landscape and the pathways for success for Swiss Medtech companies in Australia. This will include some information on regulatory affairs, procurement pathways and an overview of the key stakeholders you will need to know to enter this market.
Learn more and register here
News/Events Switzerland

Launch of ASAIN on 29 October in Basel

We are excited to announce the inaugural event and official launch of our sister organization ASAIN – the Australian Swiss Academic and Innovation Network, which will take place on October 29 at the prestigious Novartis Pavilion in Basel.  Learn more about ASAIN.

This gathering will be an opportunity for thought leaders, researchers, and innovators from both countries—and beyond—to connect, collaborate, and contribute to a thriving academic network.

Date: 29th of October, 2024, 5pm – 8pm
Location: Novartis Pavilion in Basel.

Secure your spot at this landmark event by RSVP here: https://lu.ma/22a4qwu6

News/Events Switzerland

Swisstech – stay up to date with Swiss Innovation

The swisstech campaign is a private-public initiative supported by Presence Switzerland, Innosuisse, Swissnex and Switzerland Global Enterprise. The campaign aims to raise Switzerland’s profile as a world-leading innovative location for business and to increase the visibility of its deeptech and other state-of-the-art companies as well as of its research excellence abroad.

Discover what is happening in Switzerland