Call for applications for Swiss 3RCC Doctorate Program 2025

Posted on 2025-02-20

The Swiss 3R Competence Centre announces its 2025 3Rs Doctorate Grant scheme, supporting innovative PhD research that advances the replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in scientific procedures. This competitive grant scheme follows a two-stage application process and aims to develop a new generation of researchers with strong 3Rs principles.

Funding Scope

  • PhD research projects advancing any aspect of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement)

  • Project duration: 2-4 years

  • Maximum funding: CHF 70,000.- per year (up to CHF 280,000.- total for 4 years)

  • Expected number of positions funded: 4-5 PhD candidates

  • Funding covers PhD salary and social contributions only; additional costs must be covered by other sources

  • Applications must be submitted by the prospective PhD candidate themselves

 

Eligibility

  • Master students/graduates, or PhD students (who enrolled in their doctoral programme after the 1st of January, 2025), are eligible to apply

  • Applicants must have completed their undergraduate education before project start

  • Enrollment in an accredited Doctoral programme is required throughout the project

  • Host institution must be a Swiss-based higher educational or not-for-profit research institution

  • Industry-academic partnerships are possible

  • Background in biology, medicine, engineering, statistics, or related disciplines

  • Projects must demonstrate clear 3Rs impact potential

 Deadline: April 1, 2025, 17:00 CET