Special Opportunities Projects promote systems biology research in the broader sense, including technology development. They must be highly innovative and not qualify for other traditional sources of funding, such as SNSF or European grants, for instance. 

Variety of different scopes

Systems biology covers a wide range of research methods, technologies and development tools. Therefore, Special Opportunities Projects with a variety of different scopes can be envisaged. Some examples might be: the establishment of a novel proof-of-principle, the development of a new technology, or the development of novel software to solve an unmet need. 

Application and funding

A SystemsX.ch Special Opportunities Project is to be proposed and led by one main applicant, with or without co-applicants. The institution of the main applicant will be responsible for the administration, coordination, and reporting of the project. For this type of project, funding up to a maximum of CHF 200'000 will be awarded for a one- to two-year project between 2015 and 2018, when SystemsX.ch will come to an end. 

12th call is closed

With the 12th call, launched in March 2015, SystemsX.ch was looking for Special Opportunities Projects. Scientists from all SystemsX.ch partner institutions were encouraged to apply. The submission deadline for proposals was May 17, 2015.