The Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner Foundation and the SAMS launched the Young Talents in Clinical Research (YTCR) funding program in 2017 to encourage more young medical doctors to start out in clinical research. At the end of the first funding period (2017 – 2020), the Bangerter Foundation has renewed its funding for four more years (2021 – 2024) with a total of CHF 4 million to support young physicians with protected time for research and project grants.
Medical doctors engaged in clinical research are faced with many challenges, including a lack of time, particularly during medical training, and a scarcity of funding for research projects. Currently, no system-inherent support exists in Switzerland for young doctors starting out in clinical research: They must acquire the necessary theoretical and practical skills mostly on their own. By funding protected time for research and project grants, the Young Talents in Clinical Research program contributes to improving the quality of clinical research in Switzerland and to implementing the Roadmap for developing the next generation of clinical researchers of the Federal Office of Public Health.
Research fields eligible for support
Clinical research is defined here as research involving humans (patients and healthy people) as well as research on the causes and consequences of disease involving material of human origin and health-related personal data that aim to improve the prevention, diagnosis, cure, and care of diseases. Clinical research includes quality-controlled scientific investigations on human physiology, pathophysiology or disease; epidemiologic and behavioral studies; outcomes or health services research; studies on the development of new technologies; and clinical trials.
Funding instruments
- Beginner grant to finance protected research time:
max. CHF 75’000 per person, spread over 1 to 2 years. - Project grant for a consecutive research project:
max. CHF 40’000 per year for up to 2 years.
The research supported must take place in Switzerland.
Participation requirements
Assistant doctors working in Switzerland having obtained their medical degree no more than five years before the submission deadline, and who have not been involved in clinical research except during their undergraduate medical studies and/or during their MD thesis, can apply for a beginner grant to start out in clinical research. In a subsequent step, grantees can submit a proposal for a project grant provided that they have obtained their medical degree no more than 8 years before the submission deadline. Exceptions to the eligibility window are possible in justified cases.
Applicants enrolled in a PhD or MD-PhD in clinical research are not eligible for support through the YTCR funding program.
Grantees are expected to gain formal knowledge in clinical research by attending courses, for instance those offered by the CTU network, that best fit their clinical specialty and career objectives. In addition, an experienced mentor must guarantee scientific and personal support to the grantee.
The detailed participation requirements and evaluation criteria are described in the program regulations and in the FAQ.
Evaluation procedure
The evaluation of applications for a beginner grant takes place in two stages: Applications are first reviewed by the YTCR Expert Committee; pre-selected applicants are then invited to an interview with the committee, which makes a final funding recommendation to the Bangerter Foundation. Applications for a project grant are evaluated solely on the basis of the submitted proposal.
Submission of applications
Applications must be written in English and registered online. Details about the application format and submission procedure are available on the registration page and in the FAQ. We kindly ask you to read the FAQ carefully before preparing your application.
The YTCR call 2023 is closed. Submission deadline was 30 June 2023.
Interviews: 14 November 2023 (invitation only; for selected applicants)
Earliest start of the grant: 1 January 2024
The YTCR call 2024 will be announced in March 2024.
Submission deadline for proposals: 30 June 2024; earliest start of the grant: 1 January 2025.
