Centenary Research Fund

The Centenary Research Fund supports researchers at the University of Fribourg in activities that strengthen the institution’s impact.

Applications must be submitted via the online form:

Online submission

Please read the Guidelines, Directives (FR), and all information on this page before applying.

Only applications that fully meet the eligibility criteria and requirements will be considered.

• Eligibility
  • Applicants must be employed by the University of Fribourg for a minimum of 50%
  • A doctoral degree is required
  • Activities must take place at, or in close connection with, the University of Fribourg
  • Projects must fall within one of the eligible categories listed below
• Eligible project categories

  The Centenary Research Fund supports the following types of activities:

  Scientific Research
  Support for research projects, preparation of external funding applications, or—exceptionally—complementary funding for third-party projects.

  Scientific Events
  Funding for scientific events not part of the regular course programme.
  Maximum: CHF 5,000. Additional conditions apply (see guiding principles).

  International Exchange
  Contributions for short research visits (to or from Unifr), typically lasting a few months, if not covered by the International Relations Office.

  Proof of Concept (PoC) / Prototyping
  Support for validating the applicability of new technologies. Requires prior approval from the KTT Service.

  Other Scientific Activities
  Support for other research-related activities, excluding:

  • Publication costs (including theses)
  • Translation or proofreading
  • Compensation for participants
• Funding amounts
  • Maximum grant: CHF 7,000
  • Maximum for events: CHF 5,000

  Funding is not awarded retroactively.

• Research plan

  A research plan is required as part of the application. It should be submitted using the online submission form, alongside the other required documents.

  The research plan must be uploaded as a single PDF document with a maximum size of 4 MB. It should have a maximum of 10 pages, including illustrations and notes (but excluding references).

  The content of the research plan depends on the project category.

  Scientific research
  State of current research in the field, studies conducted by the applicant (and other involved researchers), importance of the planned work and significance of expected results.

  Scientific event
  Scientific framework of the event, objective, and targeted audience; number and function of speakers, nature and duration of their contribution; number of other guests or expected participants; open to the public or not.

  International exchange
  Justify why the project requires the physical presence of the researcher.

  Proof of concept/Prototype
  The use of the appropriate proof of concept plan provided by the KTT is mandatory.

  Other Scientific Activities
  No specific content requirements apply to this category. However, the research plan should provide sufficient information to enable a meaningful evaluation of the proposed project.

• Evaluation and decision

  Applications are reviewed by the Council Office of the Board of Trustees. The Council Office meets twice a year, approximately 45 days after the submission deadline

  2026 meeting dates:

  • 30 April 2026
  • 10 November 2026

  Decisions are communicated by email only. Applicants are notified no earlier than 2 months after the submission deadline.

• Payment of the subsidy

  Funding is provided in one of the following ways:

  Direct grant

  • Funds are transferred to the internal account provided in the application
  • Payment is made within 30 days of the funding decision

  Deficit guarantee

  • Common for category Scientific Events
  • Funds are paid after approval of the final report
  • Payment is made at the earliest one month after report submission

  Make sure to plan your project accordingly.

  Important notes

  • The Fund does not make payments to third parties
  • Beneficiaries are responsible for managing invoices and payments
  • Funds must be used only for the approved purpose
• Project completion
  • A final scientific and financial report must be submitted within 2 months of project completion
  • The report is reviewed by the Council Office and forwarded to the Board of Trustees
  • Any unused funds must be returned to the Foundation