LIVES Seed Money 2026 (UNIL)

Purpose

The LIVES Centre at the University of Lausanne provides seed money to support the preparation of ambitious and innovative research projects. This funding is intended for the development of new projects or feasibility studies that will lead to full research applications on topics related to the life course and vulnerability. Our goal is to foster high-quality research within the LIVES community and increase the success rate of external funding applications.

Finances

The amount of seed money awarded is proportional to the budget of the subsequent full project application (e.g., to the SNSF, international agencies, or foundations):

• a maximum of CHF 10,000 for projects seeking funding of up to CHF 100,000 ;
• a maximum of CHF 15,000 for projects seeking funding of CHF 100,000 to 500,000 ;
• a maximum of CHF 20,000 for projects seeking funding of more than CHF 500,000.

Note: All awarded funds must be disbursed by 30 June 2027.

Eligibility

The main applicant must be a member of CIR LIVES UNIL, hold a PhD, and have a work contract at the University of Lausanne that extends beyond the end of the funding period of the final application (e.g. professor, MER). Collaborations with LIVES members in other Swiss universities are encouraged. Main applicants may submit only one proposal.

Eligible costs may include, for example: research assistance, data collection, transcription/translation, travel for project preparation, and small material or software costs directly related to proposal development.

Requirements

By accepting seed money, applicants agree to the following:

• Submission Deadline: A full project proposal must be submitted to an external funding agency within 18 months of receiving seed money (no later than 31 December 2027).
• Affiliation: The resulting project will be formally associated with the LIVES Centre.
• Acknowledgment: All subsequent publications resulting from this support must acknowledge the LIVES Centre.

Submission process

Applications must be submitted as a single PDF (filename: Lastname_MainApplicant.pdf) to lives@unil.ch by 15 April 2026. 

The application must include:

• A brief description of the target grant scheme and funding agency (e.g., SNSF, international agency), including the planned submission date, and amount requested. 
• A research plan of one page, stating the research question, expected contribution, methods, and expected output
• A timeline for the implementation of the project submission or feasibility study
• A budget breakdown of expected costs
• A CV with a publication list for all participating applicants

If you have general questions concerning the call, please contact laure.sandoz@unil.ch. If you have questions concerning the calculation of costs, please contact caroline.jeanneret@unil.ch.

Evaluation and timeline

The LIVES-UNIL scientific team and board will assess projects based on their scientific quality, originality, and topical fit with the LIVES Centre’s mission. We also take into account interdisciplinary added value and the scientific track record of the applicants.

Submission deadline: 15 April 2026

Notification of results: 15 May 2026.