Leading House

The University of St. Gallen, through its Institute of Management in Latin America, has been mandated by the Swiss Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) to serve as the Leading House, driving joint research initiatives and providing incentives for collaboration with the Latin American region.

For an overview of funding opportunities and upcoming calls, please explore this website. For further details and updates on specific calls and funding instruments, we encourage you to visit our site regularly.

Current Calls

The application period runs from 31 January 2025 to 30 April 2025.

Apply here.

The aim of the Research Partnership Grant (RPG) is to strengthen or initiate scientific exchange between Swiss and Latin American researchers and institutions by enabling them to jointly undertake preliminary research and organise meetings, conferences, or workshops. RPGs are particularly useful for developing new joint project proposals or connecting already existing, independently funded projects in Switzerland and the Latin American partner countries for long-lasting cooperation.

2025/2026 Academia-Industry Training Brazilexpand_less

The application period runs from 12 May 2025 to 4 June 2025.

Learn more about it here.

The aim of the Academia-Industry Training (AIT) Brazil is to empower Swiss researcher-entrepreneurs to transform applied research into market-ready innovations through cross-cultural training and bilateral collaboration with Brazil. The programme fosters entrepreneurial growth, facilitates international networking, and strengthens ties between Swiss and Brazilian institutions, promoting sustainable and impactful ventures grounded in scientific excellence.

Leading House: In a Nutshell

The Leading House model involves Swiss universities selected by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) to establish cooperation tools for seed funding and innovative pilot projects in bilateral programmes. This approach has effectively built valuable connections and tested new methods for research and innovation collaboration. From 2017 to 2020, over 500 pilot projects were funded with new countries and regions. The University of St. Gallen was appointed as the Leading House for Latin America (from SERI website) from 2021 to 2028, in consultation with the Swiss Rectors' Conference.

As the Leading House for Latin America, the University of St. Gallen (i) represents the Swiss scientific community's interests with Latin American partners, (ii) advises SERI, (iii) develops and manages funding instruments to promote bilateral cooperation, and (iv) communicates collaboration opportunities within the Swiss research and innovation community, working with Swiss and Latin American embassies and the Swissnex network.

Leading House Contacts

Vanessa Boanada Fuchs

Prof. PhD

Director

St.Gallen Institute of Management in Latin America
Av. Paulista 1754, conjunto 153

01 310-200 São Paulo

Letícia Vargas Bento

Ph.D.

Program Manager, Research Programs

GIMLA, c/o CLS-HSG, Leading House for Latin America
Büro 51-7004
Müller-Friedberg-Strasse 6/8
9000 St. Gallen

Rocío Robinson

PhD

Program Manager, Innovation Programs

GIMLA, c/o CLS-HSG, Leading House for Latin America / SSLAS
Büro 51-7004
Müller-Friedberg-Strasse 6/8
9000 St. Gallen

Andrea Güpfert

Administrator, Research Programs

GIMLA, c/o CLS-HSG, Leading House for Latin America
Büro 51-7004
Müller-Friedberg-Strasse 6/8
9000 St. Gallen
north