Researchers interested in the "Bulgarian-Swiss Research Programme 2011-2016" are now able to link up via a social network. By creating a new group on XING, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) offers support to researchers who are looking to find suitable partners in Bulgaria or Switzerland respectively.
On 6 and 7 February 2012 a Partnering Event will be organised in Seoul/Korea to launch the KORANET Joint Call on Green Technologies. The three main sub-topics of the Call (proposal submission from 6 February to 6 April 2012) will be: Reduction of carbon footprint - Technologies for a sustainable development - Renewable energies and energy efficiency.
Researchers interested in the Romanian Swiss Research Programme 2011-2016 are now able to link up via a social network. By creating a new group on XING, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) offers support to researchers who are looking to find suitable partners in Romania or Switzerland respectively.
The new edition of the 6-page "SNSFinfo print" with the latest institutional information of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has been published. The October edition is devoted to the topic "Enlargement contribution: co-operation with researchers from Bulgaria and Romania".
The SDC and the SNSF are continuing their longstanding co-operation in research funding in the framework of the Swiss enlargement contribution: the "Romanian-Swiss Research Programme" was launched at the end of September and is soon to be followed by the "Bulgarian-Swiss Research Programme".
SNSFinfo print No 14: Editorial
SNSFinfo print no 14: "In Focus"
Last December, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) issued a second call for proposals in the framework of SCOPES, the ongoing Eastern Europe programme 2009-2012. The available funds were sufficient for approval of 28 of the 85 applications submitted. The co-operation networks, which stretch from the Western Balkans to Central Asia and from Ukraine to Moldova, are creating a lot of interest among researchers in both Eastern Europe and Switzerland.
High level speakers will discuss this topic at our Swiss Science Briefing 2011 taking place on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 from 12:00 – 14:30 at the Mission of Switzerland to the European Union.
The Romanian-Swiss Research Programme 2011-2016 is about to be launched in Romania. Funded through the Swiss contribution to the EU enlargement, this programme will finance three-year Joint Research Projects (JRP) between Swiss and Romanian researchers. The total budget available for the JRPs is CHF 10.35 mio (85% from the Swiss contribution, 15% from the Romanian contribution).
The International Exploratory Workshops allow for researchers working in Switzerland to organize workshops with partners from abroad. The aim of this funding instrument, which is open to all fields of research, is to allow researchers working on a similar question to meet and advance their knowledge on the issue.
From 18 - 24 July 2011, six prizewinners from this year's national competition run by Swiss Youth in Science (SJf) presented their research work at Expo-Sciences International (ESI) in Bratislava, Slowakia. Two of the three projects received special recognition.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Sci-ence Foundation (SNSF) have jointly created a fund for research on global issues in and with developing and emerging countries. The Fund has been endowed with some CHF 100 million for its first eight years.
The ERA-NET programme "CHIST-ERA" (Challenges in Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies) is preparing the opening of its second call for the Fall 2011. Launched in January 2010, the programme involves agencies, including the SNSF, from eleven European countries. Two new and orthogonal topics will be addressed in this second call: 1. From Data to New Knowledge; 2. Green ICT, towards Zero Power ICT. Within these two domains, subtopics of current interest to be supported by the call will be identified during a strategic conference organized in Cork, Ireland, on 5-6 September 2011.
The new edition of the 6-page "SNSFinfo print" with the latest institutional information of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has been published. The June edition is devoted to the categorisation of scientific research, especially to “use-inspired basic research”.
In 2010, researchers submitted substantially more projects to the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) than in previous years. A steep increase of 17% compared to 2009 means that competition for research funding has become very intense. With overall funding of 726 million Swiss francs, the SNSF supported more projects than ever before (+2.7 % compared to the previous year).
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are a research instrument of the European Union that comprises voluntary research partnerships between countries. Its aim is to tackle significant societal challenges through a combination of different national research programmes. A JPI on "Neurodegenerative Diseases" has been running with Swiss participation since 2008. An initial public call for proposals for this initiative is to be launched in May 2011.
In November 2010, the SNSF and the SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) launched a second call for proposals. By the deadline of 15 March 2011, 85 applications for Institutional Partnerships had been submitted. They will be evaluated in the coming weeks; the new partnerships could start this summer.
The twelfth edition of the 6-page "SNSFinfo print" with the latest institutional information of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) has been published. The March edition is devoted to the SNSF’s language policy and other topics and is also published in English for the first time.
Nearly 150 Lead Agency applications with Swiss collaboration have been filed since the introduction of the procedure in 2008 – and the trend is rising. The Lead Agency Procedure (LAV) makes it easier for researchers to submit transnational applications.
Switzerland thrives on linguistic diversity. But English is now the dominant language in academia. The Swiss research community must find a balance between regional identity and internationalisation.
SNSFinfo print no 12: Editorial
In the frame of the ERA-Net RUS project, a Pilot Joint Call on Collaborative S&T Projects was launched on 16 March 2011. Research proposals regarding the following thematic fields can be submitted until 31 May 2011: Innovative materials and cutting edge technological process; Environmental research and climatic change; Research on serious human health problems; Contemporary socio-economic studies. The participating countries are: Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey. Project consortia must comprise project partners from at least 3 different countries, of which at least one from Russia.
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) issues a monthly newsletter with current institutional information as well as specific newsletters on the National Research Programmes (NRPs). Starting this month, all of these newsletters are also available in English. You can subscribe to them on the SNSF website (see link under “On this subject”).
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) publishes the 6-page "SNSFinfo print" with the latest institutional information three times a year. As of the next edition in March 2011, it will also be published in English. It can be ordered free of charge on the SNSF website (see link under "On this subject"). The main focal points are research and funding policy, funding schemes and organization of the SNSF.
The European Commission (EC) has launched a public consultation on improvements to EU research and innovation funding. The online consultation containing twenty seven questions is open to all stakeholders, including Switzerland, and closes on 20 May 2011. The responses will feed into the proposal of the EC for the EU’s Eighth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP8) that is expected by November.
The Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation (SSSTC) is launching a third call for proposals for Joint Research Projects between Swiss and Chinese researchers. Applicants are required to submit the joint proposals through the web platform mySNF of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The SNSF will conduct the scientific evaluation in Switzerland.
The Indo Swiss Joint Research Programme (ISJRP) is launching a third call for proposals for Joint Research Projects between Swiss and Indian researchers. Applicants are required to submit the joint proposals through the web platform mySNF of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The SNSF will conduct the scientific evaluation in Switzerland.
Out of a total of over 2000 submitted proposals the European Research Council (ERC) has selected 266 top researchers to receive the prestigious ERC Advanced Grants 2010. This year 21 of the grants are going to researchers hosted by Swiss institutions. Only the UK, Germany and France have more grantees this year.
The future astroparticle research infrastructures will be fantastic tools to investigate the cosmos. They are, as well, ideally configured to study and monitor our geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Together with ASPERA, the European network for astroparticle physics, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is organising a workshop in order to discuss existing projects and future opportunities of synergies between astroparticle physics and the environmental sciences. The workshop will be held on 1/2 December 2010 in Paris.
The European Research Council (ERC) is awarding around €580 million to 427 top researchers in his 3rd Starting Grant competition. Switzerland is 4th in the country ranking, after UK, France, and Germany: 27 Grants are awarded to researchers at Swiss Host Institutions. The overall success rate is 15%. The average age of the selected researchers is about 36 years, and 26.5% are women.
The International Exploratory Workshops enable researchers investigating similar topics to meet for several days in Switzerland and advance their knowledge. This funding scheme has been in place since the beginning of 2010. After two assessment rounds, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) deemed it necessary to slightly modify the terms of participation and bring them more closely into line with researchers’ needs. These new terms are applicable as of today.
“Being physically present in Brussels represents an interesting asset for the partners of SwissCore” says Maryline Maillard, Head of the SwissCore office, in an interview in which she explains the liaison offices’ activities and its role in facilitating and promoting Swiss participation in the research, innovation and education programmes of the European Union. Below you will find the link to the full interview.
Recently the phase 2005-2008 of the SCOPES programme which supported about 150 research partnerships between research teams in Eastern Europe and Switzerland was completed. Research results were produced and published, young scientists supported and trained as well as networks created and extended. Positive feedback from a great many beneficiaries demonstrates that the research partnerships are attractive and beneficial for scientists in both Eastern European and Switzerland.
The ERA-Net CHIST-ERA (Challenges in Information and Communication Sciences and Technologies) is ready for the opening of its first call. Launched in January 2010, the programme involves agencies, including the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), from nine European countries. Two completely different topics will be addressed in this first call: “Quantum Information Foundations and Technologies” and “Beyond Autonomic Systems - the Challenge of Consciousness”.
The International Exporatory Workshops of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) allow for researchers working in Switzerland to organize workshops with partners from abroad. The workshops can last between two and five days. The seminar is to take place in Switzerland, and up to 30 participants from different institutions can participate. However, the SNSF will fund a maximum of ten researchers.
The European Science Foundation (ESF) invites scientists to submit proposals for high-level research conferences to take place in 2012 within the following scientific domains:
• Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences
• Molecular Biology+
• Mathematics
• Physics/Biophysics and Environmental Sciences
• Social Sciences and Humanities