Launch of the six new National Centres of Competence in Research
NCCRs strengthen innovation and scientific excellence in strategically important areas. They provide a framework for research and support for early-career researchers and promote Swiss cutting-edge research internationally.
National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) enable the networking of excellent research groups from all over Switzerland, even across different disciplines. The newly launched NCCRs will build up their research networks over the coming years. In addition, the participating higher education institutions will continue the structural development of the funded research areas, for example by financing new professorships, training programmes or technology platforms. This will make a significant and lasting contribution to strengthening the respective research fields. NCCRs are therefore a key instrument for strengthening Swiss cutting-edge research and innovative capacity over the long term as well as for promoting international visibility.
Which new NCCRs are starting?
In January, President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin launched six new NCCRs, which the federal government will support over the long term. The respective NCCRs receive additional financial and structural support from their home institutions, which support them for the entire duration of up to 12 years. The NCCR directors are responsible for their implementation.
The following six NCCRs will start their research activities on 1 May. More detailed information on the individual NCCRs can be found on the SNSF website (see the links below).
NCCR Children & Cancer
Research topic: This NCCR aims to improve the treatment of children with cancer and develop new therapeutic approaches in paediatric oncology.
Home institutions: University of Zurich, University of Lausanne
NCCR directors: Prof. Jean-Pierre Bourquin, Prof. Raffaele Renella
NCCR CLIM+
Research topic: The focus is on inter- and transdisciplinary research on climate extremes and the development of innovative solutions for societal adaptation to climate change.
Home institutions: ETH Zurich, University of Bern
NCCR directors: Prof. Sonia Seneviratne, Prof. Karin Ingold
NCCR Genesis
Research topic: Genesis investigates how life originated on Earth and searches for other life in the universe.
Home institutions: ETH Zurich, University of Lausanne
NCCR directors: Prof. Didier Queloz, Prof. Johanna Marin-Carbonne
NCCR Muoniverse
Research topic: Interdisciplinary basic and applied research in particle physics, with a focus on innovative approaches to the utilisation of muons
Home institutions: PSI, University of Zurich
NCCR directors: Prof. Klaus Kirsch, Prof. Marc Janoschek
NCCR Precision
Research topic: Comprehensive research programme on precision measurements with a focus on the physical quantities of time and frequency (quantum physics)
Home institutions: ETH Zurich, University of Basel
NCCR directors: Prof. Jonathan Home, Prof. Stefan Willitsch
NCCR Separations
Research topic: The researchers will develop new chemical separation technologies and optimise the transfer of these new processes and technologies to industry
Home institution: EPFL Valais Wallis
NCCR directors: Prof. Wendy Queen, Prof. Kumar Varoon Agrawal
Once the new NCCRs are up and running, the SNSF will regularly review their progress. This evaluation is carried out in consultation with review panels comprising international experts. They assess scientific progress in all areas of the NCCRs.
NCCR directors have a high degree of scientific flexibility and can respond quickly to new developments and reallocate funding if necessary. The review panels also regularly evaluate this dynamic development. In addition, they make recommendations on how the international positioning of the respective NCCRs and their structural development can be further strengthened.
Comprehensive evaluation of the NCCRs
On behalf of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), the SNSF published the 6th call for National Centres of Competence in Research at the end of 2023.
Torsten Schwede is confident that the SNSF carried out the selection process transparently and to the highest standards: "The SNSF first evaluated outline proposals, which present the goals and potential of the proposed NCCRs, followed by the full NCCR proposals. The 75 outline proposals submitted were assessed by international experts from various fields according to the criteria set out in the call document. All applicants received feedback. The 38 selected proposals then underwent a further round of international expert review. Applicants were subsequently interviewed in order to gauge the quality, coherence and feasibility of the projects in greater depth. Based on these evaluation results, the SNSF drew up a shortlist of recommended applications."*
In September 2025, the SNSF forwarded this shortlist to the federal government, which in turn conducted its research and higher education policy review. At the end of January 2026, President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), decided on and announced the launch of six new NCCRs.