Investigator initiated clinical trials (IICT)

The IICT programme is targeted at researchers who wish to conduct an investigator initiated clinical trial. Support will be given to trials that are of value to the patients and address important unmet medical and societal needs but are not in industry focus.

The programme for Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials (IICTs) of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) offers targeted support for clinical studies that are of value to the patients and address important unmet medical and societal needs. These studies are designed and conducted according to the highest international standards.

Clinical trials are defined and regulated by the Ordinance on Clinical Trials with the exception of Clinical Trials of Medical Devices (Clinical Trials Ordinance, ClinO)*.

IICT studies go beyond the scope of project funding in terms of their research questions, comprehensive nature, duration, complexity and costs. They generally require a multicentric setting, sometimes international collaborations, and are not in the industry focus.

Included are randomised controlled trials (RCTs) such as:

• Treatment trials
• Prevention trials
• Screening trials
• Diagnostic trials
• Quality of life trials
• Adaptive trials (i.e. platform trials)
• Repurposing trials
• NEW: Replication trials with significant knowledge gain***

Excluded from support under the IICT programme are:

• Studies conducted for direct commercial purposes
• Non-randomised and uncontrolled studies
• Pilot studies
• Proof of concept studies (phase I and phase IIa)
• Studies with safety endpoints only
• Observational studies
• Preclinical studies

• Clinical trial means a research project in which persons are prospectively assigned to a health-related intervention** in order to investigate its effects on health or on the structure and function of the human body.

Natural persons are eligible to submit applications if they meet the general eligibility requirements for the submission of applications pursuant to Arts. 10 and 12 of the Funding Regulations and Arts. 4 and 5 of the Regulations on Project Funding and if they form a research group pursuant to Art. 12 of the Funding Regulations.

The members of the research group must have an excellent scientific track record over several years and the ability to lead a clinical study involving various experts and institutions in a multicentric setting.

The research group consists of a maximum of 5 persons. The members of the research group have clearly defined roles and responsibilities with regard to the implementation of the project as a whole.

The members of the research group appoint a corresponding applicant (Art. 12 para. 4 of the Funding Regulations); this person is generally the leader of the clinical study.

• Funding Regulations Arts. 10 and 12 (PDF)
• Regulations on Project Funding Articles 4 and 5 (PDF)

​Project partners:

Project partners are researchers who contribute to a research project through cooperation without being responsible for the project. In a clinical research context, project partners may be, for instance, researchers who contribute to the inclusion of patients in recruiting centres. They must be designated as such in the application. Within the scope of their contributions, such as analyses etc., project partners benefit from the SNSF grant. However, they do not count as (remunerated) employees of the project and are not among those responsible for the project as a whole. They may not refer to the support received from the SNSF as a grant they have themselves acquired.