SERI — State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

Runs SERI as Switzerland's federal innovation-policy agency managing scholarships and international cooperation grants.

SERI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, or SBFI) is Switzerland's federal specialised agency for education, research, and innovation policy, housed in the EAER. It is a policy body first, not the main domestic research grantmaker, which is why Swiss applicants often work with SNSF or Innosuisse for larger research and innovation calls.

SERI's direct funding footprint is narrow but specific: the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships, bilateral joint research projects through the Leading House model, PRODEX, NARV, and Horizon Europe transitional measures. The scholarship line is open to early-career researchers from 183 countries, with research scholarships for postgraduate work in Swiss universities and ETH institutions and art scholarships for initial master's study in art fields. Applications are free, and research scholarship applicants need a Swiss academic supervisor.

The delivery model is selective and administrative rather than broad-based competition. SERI generally funds international cooperation, scholarship placements, and space-related research activities, often through the Swiss Space Office or the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students, so the strongest applications are those that already fit a clearly defined federal route.