3Rs Doctorate Programme

This funding round is now complete and the grant recipients have been announced.


Theme of the call

The 3RCC is looking to encourage a new generation of researchers to adopt an 3Rs Principle ethos where new methods are transferred and put into active practice. One step on this way is to offer a PhD programme that focus both on developing this translational thinking in a new generation of researchers, as well as offering a solid anchoring in advancing the application of the 3Rs Principle within the Swiss research landscape.

The funding is intended for applications coming directly from the PhD candidate.

In the first phase, applicants should submit an outline application with basic information on the 3Rs-relevant project they aim to conduct during their PhD. The application will be assessed on the fit of the proposal with the current 3Rs needs and capabilities within Switzerland, as well as the academic and personal history of the candidate. A variety of backgrounds and aims will be explicitly selected for to encourage the development of 3Rs-approaches from a wide range of fields and motivations. Candidates may already suggest a research lab in Switzerland but this is not a strict requirement at this stage. Candidates who are already enrolled in a PhD programme are still eligible for this funding provided they fulfil all other criteria listed below.

If your outline application is selected, in the second phase we will find a selection of suitable state-of-the-art research groups in Switzerland with similar 3Rs-related aspirations. It will ultimately be up to the candidate which of these research groups will act as their host.

In the third phase, the PhD candidate will work on their project proposal together with members of the potential host lab to develop a research plan and full application for funding. The development of the full application will also be supported by the 3Rs node-coordinator at that institution.

Application Information

  • Project duration is set to a maximum of four years (48 months).

  • Estimated January 2023 start until December 2026.

  • Maximum budget per project is 280’000 CHF.

  • Covering the basic salary of a PhD student including overhead.

  • Applicants should have completed their Masters Degree and have confirmed eligibility for their PhD by no later than 31 October 2022.

  • Applicants selected for funding are expected to enrol in an accredited Doctoral programme throughout the time of the project.

  • There are no specific background educational requirements but knowledge of the most current topics in the 3Rs landscape is ideal.

  • Students with backgrounds in biology, medicine, engineering, statistics, and others disciplines are welcome to apply.

  • The hosting institution should be a Swiss-based higher educational institution or a not-for- profit research institution.

  • Industry-academic partnerships are encouraged.

  • A detailed plan for dissemination must be provided.

  • Open-access publishing of the results from the proposed project is required.

  • General principles of Open Science are highly encouraged.

  • Eight candidates are anticipated to be invited to submit a full application and funding will be provided for four of these candidates.

Indicative timeline
January 2022 – announcement of the call.
February 2022 – opening of the applications.
May 2022 – outline application deadline.
July 2022 – invitation for full applications.
October 2022 – full application submission deadline
December 2022 – notification of applicants.
January 2023 – project start and enrolment of PhD candidatures at the host institutions.

You can find an example form here. Note that some questions may only appear depending on certain given answers in the online version of the form.

You can find an example full application form here. Note that only those invited to the full application round are able to submit this form.


Register with our funding portal to complete the initial application...