Research Pool

The Research Pool supports innovative research projects at the University of Fribourg that cannot be funded through external sources.

Applications must be submitted via the online form:

Online submission

• Eligibility

  Applicants must be employed by the University of Fribourg at a minimum rate of 50%. This rate may be lower for clinical researchers who are also under contract with the HFR, but their total employment rate must be at least 50%.

  In principle, only researchers employed as one of the following categories are eligible:

  • Professor
  • MER (Maître·sse d'enseignement et de recherche)
  • MA (Maître·sse-assistant·e)
  • Lecturer

  Other research positions may be eligible upon presentation of a duly documented written justification.

  Funding is granted only for projects conducted at, or in close connection with, the University of Fribourg and falling within one of the eligible categories listed below.

• Eligible project categories

  The Research Pool supports the following types of projects:

  Matching funds
  Co-funding required to unlock third-party funding.
  Applications may be submitted to only one Unifr entity (Rectorate, Faculty, or Research Pool).
  Maximum: CHF 50,000

  Preparation of third-party projects
  Support for developing major external funding applications.

  Teaching relief
  Funding for replacement staff when the applicant leads a major externally funded project.

  Development of research clusters
  Support for the creation or expansion of research clusters recognised by Unifr.

  Promotion of junior researchers
  Support for early-career researchers (inbound or outbound mobility).
  Maximum duration: 12 months

  Proof of Concept / Prototype
  Support for testing the applicability of new technologies.
  Requires prior approval from the KTT Service.

  Supplement to a third-party project
  Additional support for ongoing or finalising external projects.
  Requires submission of the third-party application file.

• Funding amounts
  • Standard range: CHF 7,000 – CHF 70,000
  • Large-scale projects: up to CHF 100,000
  • Matching funds: up to CHF 50,000

  Requests below CHF 7,000 should be submitted to the Centenary Research Fund (if eligible).

• Ineligible costs

  Funding is not available for:

  • Projects rejected by third-party funding bodies
  • Additional (“add-on”) funding to previously funded projects
  • Participant compensation or cohort purchases as the sole purpose of the application
  • Contributions to the applicant’s salary
  • Scientific events
  • Publication, translation, or proofreading costs
• 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, excluding illustrations, notes, and references.

  As a rule, the research plan should address the following points:

  • Current state of research in the field (without own results)
  • Applicant's own work in the field
  • Presentation of the proposed research work and methodology
  • Importance of the proposed work for the field and the University of Fribourg
  • Link between this project and your other ongoing projects, regardless of their funding

  For certain application categories, additional requirements and considerations apply.

  Supplement to a third-party project
  If the application aims to complete an external project that could not be finalized with the help of the third-party funder, attach the application to the third-party programme to your current application.

  Proof of concept/Prototype
  The use of a specific research plan is mandatory: please contact the KTT Service for more information.

• Evaluation and decision

  Applications are reviewed by the Research Promotion Committee. The Committee meets twice a year, usually in April and October.

  2026 meeting dates:

  • 30 March 2026
  • 21 September 2026

  The Committee submits recommendations to the Rectorate, which makes the final decision.

  Decisions are communicated in writing only. Applicants are notified no earlier than 3 months after the submission deadline

• Project completion
  •  At the end of the project, a final scientific report must be submitted to the Committee.
  • Reports must be submitted using the required online form.
  • The report is reviewed for final validation
  • Any unused funds remain with the Research Pool