Seed-funding for research

Empowering Collaborative Research and Innovation

CIVIS Seed Funding is a strategic initiative designed to foster collaboration among academics and researchers across the CIVIS Alliance. By providing financial support for joint projects, this programme aims to stimulate innovative ideas, strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships, and pave the way for long-term research cooperation within Europe and beyond.

Impact of this initiative

The first two calls calls have funded over 50 projects in areas such as health, sustainability, digital transformation, and social inclusion. These collaborations have led to innovative research endeavours and laid the groundwork for impactful partnerships. One good example is spaXio (spatial crosstalk in immuno-oncology), a research project that has successfully secured funding through the highly competitive European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks programme. The project aims to uncover the complexities of metastasis —why certain cancer cells settle in specific organs and form deadly tumours. And it was born out of a CIVIS seed-funding project!

Read about some of the funded projects

Some background

Thanks to the RIS4CIVIS project [Horizon Europe/SwafS, 2021-2023], the Research and Innovation dimension of the CIVIS Alliance has enriched the Education component already in place. The implementation of structural actions to develop networking between researchers, promote a better understanding of our partners' research and innovation potential, and support the submission of joint projects (particularly within the framework of Horizon Europe) has strengthened exchanges and collaboration between our research teams at the Alliance level.

Looking Ahead

CIVIS remains committed to supporting academic excellence and societal impact through seed funding. Future calls will continue to encourage creativity, diversity, and cooperation among researchers within the Alliance.

Testimonials

Idén var att skapa ett CIVIS-baserat nätverk mellan laboratorier som är intresserade av att använda spatiala omics-teknologier. Det var startfinansieringen från CIVIS-UNIL som förde oss samman, vilket i slutändan ledde till denna framgångsrika bidragsansökan

Dirk Schmidt-Arras, Assoc. Prof., University of Salzburg

What you need to know about CIVIS Seed Funding

Seed funding acts as a catalyst for new research ventures beyond disciplinary boundaries. It enables academic teams teams to explore emerging topics, prepare competitive proposals for larger grants and test ideas. Through this mechanism, CIVIS supports the creation of sustainable networks that address global challenges in line with our mission.

When calls are open, the programme welcomes applications from faculty from CIVIS member universities. Projects must involve partners from east three CIVIS Universities from Europe or Africa (with a minimum of two European universities), ensuring a truly collaborative and international approach. Postdoctoral researchers are encouraged to participate.

Joint Research Projects: Initiatives that combine expertise across disciplines and institutions.
Proposal Development: Activities aimed at securing external funding for future large-scale projects.
Networking and Capacity Building: Opportunities to strengthen academic ties and share knowledge.