SNSF and Innosuisse Fundings Reduced by 5% Instead of Planned 10%

SNSF funding cut reduced:

Switzerland’s Federal Council had planned to cut funding for research and innovation by 10% between 2027 and 2029. However, Parliament decided on a smaller reduction for the SNSF, lowering the cut to 5%.

The National Council supported this compromise, following the position of the Council of States and a parliamentary committee. As a result, the expected savings will be reduced by half— dropping from CHF 131 million to 65 million in 2027, and from CHF 139 million to 70 million in both 2028 and 2029.

Attempts to keep the full 10% cut, as well as proposals to cancel the reduction entirely, were both rejected.

Despite the lower-than-expected budget cut, the SNSF will maintain the measures already communicated i.e. the suspensions and budget cuts in SNSF funding schemes & revised project funding rules with limits on submissions, number of proposals and funding amount and changes

However, the SNSF is expected to achieve lower-than-anticipated savings in Career and Project Funding.

Innosuisse - smaller cuts and no legal change:

For Innosuisse, the Federal Council had proposed not only a funding cut but also a legal change to the Federal Act on the Promotion of Research and Innovation (RIPA). This proposal would have canceled a recent reform aimed at making innovation funding more agile.

Parliament rejected this suggested legal change and again opted for a smaller budget cut of 5% instead of 10%.

The reduction therefore decreases from CHF 32 million to 16 million in 2027, and from CHF 33 million to 16.5 million in 2028 and 2029. A proposal to go ahead with the full cut was also rejected.