Horizon Europe: Swiss researchers under pressure to relocate or forgo EU grants
The European Research Council (ERC) has announced that Swiss-based researchers who were recently awarded Horizon Europe research grants will need to do their work outside Switzerland in the absence of an agreement with the EU.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/eth/jdp
Русский
ru
Программа Horizon Europe: какой у швейцарских ученых выбор?
“We are now starting to see the direct effects of our exclusion from Horizon Europe. The first to be affected are the highly talented researchers at the beginning of their research career,” said Detlef Günther, Vice President for Research at the Swiss federal technology institute ETH Zurich, in a press releaseExternal link.
On Monday, the ERC announcedExternal link it had awarded €619 million (CHF649 million) to 397 scientists and scholars under its new research and innovation grant funding within Horizon Europe. Among them were 28 researchers at Swiss universities, including 11 at ETH Zurich.
The researchers, however, will have to relocate to an institution in the EU or a Horizon Europe eligible country to carry out their projects because Switzerland is now considered a non-associated third country to the scheme.
“The proposals submitted with Swiss host institutions and which have been selected for funding may remain eligible if their host institution is replaced with a legal entity established in an eligible country,” announced the ERC in a statement.
This is after talks on a larger framework agreement with the EU broke down in May 2021, leaving Switzerland outside the Horizon Europe programme. Swiss universities are no longer eligible for programme funding, but an exception was made for this round of grants because the call for proposals was already made before negotiations broke down.
In the press release, ETH Zurich said that due to Switzerland’s non-association its 11 researchers will not receive the grants, but that the funding will be covered by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.
“It is a great relief in this difficult situation and helps ETH Zurich to keep these talented researchers in Switzerland,” said Günther. However, he added that this can’t be a replacement for international competition, and that Switzerland should quickly re-establish its full association with European research funding.
In September, the Swiss government announced it would cover research funding shortfalls resulting from the country’s exclusion from EU programmes.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign Affairs
How a top Swiss university is screening Chinese students
Media: Swiss medical services done abroad are billed at Swiss rates
This content was published on
In Switzerland, some medical services carried out abroad are still billed at Swiss rates, despite costing less, RTS reports.
This content was published on
Sophie Hediger, a member of the Swiss national snowboard cross team, has died in an avalanche in Arosa. She was 26 years old.
This content was published on
Several Swiss films exceeded the 100,000 admissions mark worldwide in 2024 and received widespread praise at international film festivals.
Swiss Alpine resorts covered in white gold for Christmas
This content was published on
Many areas at low altitudes in Switzerland are enjoying a blanket of snow. In the mountains, intense precipitation has delighted skiers.
SWISS makes emergency landing in Austria after smoke in cockpit
This content was published on
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) made an emergency landing of an Airbus in Graz, Austria on Monday evening after engine problems.
L’Oréal acquires South Korean subsidiary of Migros’ cosmetics brand
This content was published on
French cosmetics firm L'Oréal is acquiring Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, the South Korean subsidiary of the Migros-owned Mibelle group, for an undisclosed sum.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.