Major interest in SNSF “Emergency solutions”
The Swiss National Science Foundation’s temporary solutions aim to limit the damage after Switzerland’s exclusion from the EU’s research programmes. Switzerland’s full association with Horizon 2020 nevertheless continues to be the top objective of the Federal Council.
Switzerland as a research centre is coming under pressure: at the end of February 2014, the European Union (EU) suspended the negotiations over the full association of Switzerland in Horizon 2020, the European framework programme for research and innovation. In response to this, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) established temporary measures at short notice in close collaboration with the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Their aim is to minimise the damage for researchers in Switzerland as much as possible. As a first measure, young researchers were able to submit applications for a replacement of the starting grants of the European Research Council.
A total of 145 researchers applied for such a grant in the amount of up to CHF 1.5 million and a term of no more than 5 years. The lion’s share of applications was submitted by researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, followed by EPF Lausanne and the University of Geneva, the external pageNational Foundation reported on Friday.
Full association still the objective
At a meeting with the SNSF on Friday, Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann obtained information on the current status and the further procedure for this so-called temporary backup scheme. He welcomed the temporary solutions of the SNSF, saying that “They give our researchers support in these uncertain times”. The minister for research nevertheless emphasised that “Switzerland’s full association with Horizon 2020 in the interests of the country as a research centre continues to be the top objective of the Federal Council”.
According to Martin Vetterli, President of the SNSF Research Council, the results of the evaluation for the starting grants should become available as of the end of 2014. “We assume that we will have roughly the same rate of success as in previous years with the ERC,” says Vetterli; at 23 per cent for the years 2007 to 2013 it was considerably above the European average.
The evaluation procedure for the SNSF’s temporary measures is the same as that at the ERC. The best projects are determined in a two-level peer review process. The SNSF is currently compiling a high-profile panel: “The best of the best will ensure the high quality of the projects,” explains Vetterli. “In particular, former grant holders – amongst others also from ETH Zurich – will decide on the winners.”
In an initial phase, the most promising applicants will be invited to interviews. In a second phase, a shortlist will then be drawn up. Thomas Bernauer, Professor of Political Science (International Relations) at ETH Zurich is the committee member who will appoint and support the evaluation panels.
The Achilles’ heel of the measures
But one thing is clear for the SNSF Research Council President: “The emergency measures can be a temporary solution only.” In the medium to long term, international competition cannot possibly be replaced. The critical mass is missing in an evaluation within Switzerland – “That’s the Achilles’ heel of the temporary measures,” explained Vetterli. What’s more, the researchers in Switzerland have fewer funds than would be the case with the ERC.
The initiation of tenders for SNSF consolidator grants is currently ongoing. Researchers with postdoctoral experience of between seven and twelve years can still submit their applications by 20 May 2014. Whether there will also be a call for advance grants in October 2014 is currently not known.
This depends strongly on the political developments regarding an association of Switzerland with Horizon 2020. On Friday, external pagemembers of parliament reported that they aim to achieve full association with the EU research programmes.