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The SAMS promoted health services research in Switzerland for five years. One of the projects supported was the Swiss Atlas of Health Care (2017). In the meantime, the atlas has been updated and expanded: It measures the use of healthcare services in Switzerland with over 100 indicators. Designed as a learning system, the new atlas is to be continuously updated. It thus creates a basis for health services research and can help to plan and manage resources according to needs. Visit the website for further information.

The YTCR program comprises two funding instruments: beginner grants and project grants. Its target audience are residents who wish to be freed from clinical duty to gain first experience in clinical research. Applications must be written in English and registered online. More information on the participation criteria, submission and evaluation procedure can be found in the program regulations, on our website, and in the FAQ.

The MD-PhD grants contribute to motivate particularly talented physicians to complete a doctoral research training in natural sciences, public health sciences, clinical research or biomedical ethics. The SAMS is convinced that these profiles, capable of bridging the gap between research and clinical practice, are essential to deal with the growing complexity of medicine. As the SAMS has no budget to replace the SNSF contributions as of 2025, it has started to approach potential partners to avoid the program being discontinued with the withdrawal of the SNSF. More information can be found on our website.

Per Seed Grant, up to CHF 80'000 can be awarded for a maximum period of 18 months. The contributions allow grantees to explore an innovative research idea, to realize a small, independent pilot project, and/or to prepare their own project proposal to be submitted to a larger funding agency. Visit our website for more information on the format and submission procedure.

To strengthen health services research in Switzerland, the SAMS and the Gottfried and Julia Bangerter-Rhyner-Stiftung conducted a joint funding programme from 2012 to 2016. This was the decisive step towards Switzerland becoming aware of the topic of health services research and the launch of NRP 74. The findings gained and the recommendations can be found in the programme summary and on the NRP-website.

Every two years, the SAMS bestows the Robert Bing Prize. In accordance with the donor’s will, the Prize is awarded to researchers who have done outstanding work to improve the recognition, treatment and cure of neurological diseases. The award ceremony will take place on 1 June 2023. Further information about the laureates and the Prize can be found in the media release published today and on our website.

During the sixth call for proposals, the SAMS evaluation committee proposed to support 14 promising young clinician scientists. The Bangerter Foundation approved the awards for a total of CHF 1 million. You can find the list of grantees and supported projects in the synopsis below (PDF). The next YTCR call will be opened at the end of March 2023.

«Moral distress» encompasses experiences in which healthcare professionals are unable to act in an ethically appropriate manner or are involved in a situation that is perceived as morally undesirable. The impact of moral distress on the individuals involved, and on the healthcare system, has been studied internationally. However, solid data and a thorough medical-ethical discussion are still largely lacking in the Swiss context. 4 projects are funded with a total of CHF 267,841 to fill this gap. The synopsis (pdf) gives an overview of all the projects supported by the KZS Fund. More information can be found on our website.

National MD-PhD grants enable each year a small number of talented physicians to complete a doctoral research training in natural sciences, public health sciences, clinical research or biomedical ethics at a Swiss university. The revised regulations integrate the Università della Svizzera italiana and its local MD-PhD program as a new partner. The next submission deadline to the associated local MD-PhD commissions is 15 December 2022. Details on the submission of applications and the evaluation procedure can be found on our website.

Of the 22 applications preselected by the local MD-PhD committees, 13 young candidates are awarded a grant. The contributions, amounting to a total of more than CHF 2.3 million, cover the salary of grantees. They are sponsored by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Swiss Cancer Research (KFS) and the SAMS – for the first time with an additional grant from the Théodore Ott Fund. The next call for proposals of the National MD-PhD program will be launched this autumn with a submission deadline set on 15 December 2022.

To ensure that sufficient medical scientists are available over the medium and longer term, it is essential that more women pursue a career in academic medicine. To enhance the visibility of female role models, the SAMS has established the Stern-Gattiker Prize in 2018. Further information on the Prize and the two laureates can be found on our website and in the media release published today.

In accordance with the donor’s will, the Robert Bing Prize is awarded primarily to young (up to 45 years old) neuroscientists with the Swiss nationality or who have been working in Switzerland for a significant amount of time. The prize is awarded every two years with a prize money of CHF 50’000.– for a single laureate or CHF 30’000.– each if two laureates are distinguished simultaneously. All information about the Prize, the format and the submission of nominations can be found on our website.

The YTCR program, which comprises two funding instruments, «beginner grants» and «project grants», focuses on residents who wish to be freed from clinical duty to gain a first research experience. Applications must be written in English and registered online. Details on the participation criteria, submission and evaluation procedure can be found in the program regulations, on our website and in the FAQ.

With this call for proposals, the SAMS invites researchers to examine, from a clinical ethics and/or public health ethics perspective, the roots of healthcare workers' – nurses' and physicians' – frustration and high professional drop-out rates in the Swiss context. Applications can be written in German, French or English and must be registered online. Details on the call, format and submission of proposals can be found on our website.

With the Stern-Gattiker Prize, the SAMS rewards every two years a female medical scientist who has obtained her postdoctoral qualification within the past ten years, holds a permanent position in a hospital, and who, in her own way, is considered as a role model. The proximity to the next generation of doctors and the commitment to gender equality are a plus. Detailed information on the nomination process can be found on our website.

With the 2021 call for proposals, the SAMS wanted to broaden the debate around the triage of patients: the Covid-19 pandemic has clearly shown that questions of distribution equity affected further areas of healthcare in the institutional and outpatient sector, even before admission to the intensive care unit. The 3 supported projects will seek to understand how the experience of the pandemic has changed – and is still changing – perceptions and judgements on equity and distribution debates in the event of resource scarcity. The synopsis (pdf) offers an overview of all the projects supported by the KZS Fund. You will find more information on our website.

Prof. Becher has identified key molecular mechanisms in the progression of chronic inflammatory brain diseases, such as in multiple sclerosis and brain cancer. With his research group, he has developed state-of-the-art tools that have brought about groundbreaking insights into diverse pathological processes where inflammation is involved. The award ceremony will take place on 2 June 2022 in Bern. Further information on the laureate and on the prize can be found in the media release published today and on our website.