SNSFinfo print, April 2013

www.sns f . ch In f o rma t i on f o r re sea rche r s f rom the Sw i ss Na t i ona l S c i ence Founda t i on

infosnsf n° 18 > AprIl 2013PRInT

page 2 > Agora: 14 new communication projects • page 2 > In Focus: additional tasks of the SNSFpage 5 > Strengthening energy research • page 5 > SCOPES – new programme phase 2013-2016

EditorialJusqu’ici tout va bien !

We have good reason to be proud of research “made in Switzerland”. Almost no other coun-try in the world has won such a plethora of awards. Be it the number of innova-tions, publications or patents, Switzerland is

always at the cutting edge – and the SNSF has undoubtedly contributed to its success. That said, new challenges are likely to emerge in the next few years. For instance, the needs of established researchers have changed considerably in recent years – and those of young re-searchers as well. At the same time, research funding has be-come a lot more international. We will hence have a lot of work to do in the coming years and, for me as the new Presi-dent, it is a great honour to be able to lend a hand. After my PhD years (incidentally also funded by the SNSF) and many years as a professor abroad and in Switzerland, I will from now on put my experience to work for the success of Swiss research funding. At the same time, I will always try to look ahead and remain alert to the changing needs of researchers. But for the moment we can say “so far, so good”...

Martin Vetterli President

of the NationalResearch Council

of the SNSFSwitzerland is a highly successful and attractive research location. That said, its higher education institutions and fund-ing organisations need to create the right conditions so that we can continue to attract innovative researchers, encour-age more talented young people in Swit-zerland to pursue an academic career and maintain Switzerland's leading position as a research location in the long term.

Funding policy: three main areasAgainst this backdrop and based on a comprehensive assessment of the situ-ation, the SNSF is focusing its funding activities for 2013-2016 on three main areas:

• Ensure enough young scientists by offering funding schemes that are career-friendly

• Flexibly support researchers striving for excellence

• Valorise research and research results through intensified knowledge and technology transfer as well as dialogue with politicians and the public

In its Action Plan 2013-2016, the SNSF describes the measures with which these goals are to be achieved. The Action Plan is based on the Multi-Year Programme, in which the SNSF presented its strategy and the corresponding need for funds to the Federal Authorities in 2010. The Multi-Year Programme was elaborated in con-sultation with the partner organisations (particularly CRUS, KFH, Academies, CTI).

Parliament finally allocated CHF 3.7 bil-lion to the SNSF for 2013-2016, approx-imately CHF 900 million less than requested in the Multi-Year Programme. While maintaining the overall goals men-tioned above, the SNSF was forced to set priorities with regard to the funding measures to be implemented between 2013 and 2016. These measures are set out in a service level agreement with the Federal Government. The Action Plan summarises the relevant measures, points out those that cannot be imple-mented due to financial constraints and takes an initial look at what the future might bring beyond 2016.

www.snsf.ch > About us > Funding policy > Multi-Year programme

Funding measures defined until 2016

In its Action Plan, the SNSF presents specific funding measures for 2013-2016. The measures are focused on three main areas: the promotion of a sufficient number of young researchers, flexible support for those striving for excellence and valorisation of research and its results.

A priority of the SNSF: offering career-friendly funding schemes to make the prospect of an academic career more appealing to young scientists.

Daniel Höchli, Director of the Administrative Offices

2 > SNSFinfo PRinT APRil 2013

CuRRENT ISSuES

IN FOCuS

Agora finances projects that engage in public science communication. The SNSF and the Mercator foundation, which is also associated with the pro-gramme, wish to encourage knowledge transfer and dialogue on scientific top-ics. The interaction between researchers and the public is a key criterion in the evaluation of applications. This interac-tion can take a variety of forms: the pub-lic may participate in discussions and ask questions, or it may be consulted on social and scientific matters or actively contribute to research projects.

Over 30 funded projects The 14 new projects complement the 17 projects already launched last year. Young Muslims in Switzerland, genom-ics, anxiety related illnesses or solar energy: the diversity of the topics illus-

trates the many areas of interaction between science and the public. The projects propose to discuss these top-ics by means of exhibitions, debates and workshops. Research will also be the subject of an interactive event. New media are widely used: e-books and tablets help to transmit mathemati-cal knowledge; smartphone apps ena-ble public participation in biodiversi-ty research or illustrate how the voice works.

Agora is open to prospective and ad vanced researchers. It finances small projects with a budget of at least CHF 5000 and larger initiatives up to an amount of CHF 200,000. Co-financing for more ambitious projects is also an option. JpO

“Emission impossible” – a game illustrating the links between agriculture and climate, funded by Agora in 2012.

Agora: research in the public arena The SNSF selected 14 science communication projects of the second Agora call.

The quality of the planned interaction between researchers and the public was a key criterion in the evaluation process.

Supplementary tasks of the Federal Government or: what the SNSF does beyond its core activities

Given the necessary resourc-es, the SNSF as an independent body is predestined to carry out supplementary tasks for the Fed-eral Government in the area of research funding. However, from a science policy perspective, these tasks should be limited in scope, and they should not diminish the Federal Government's regular contributions to the SNSF.

The service level agreement 2013-2016 with the Federal Govern-ment (see main article) includes three such supplementary tasks for the SNSF, for which additional funds have been earmarked:

• On behalf of the Federal Gov-ernment, the SNSF is allocating

additional funding for FLARE (Funding LArge international REsearch projects), a programme facilitating access by Swiss researchers to infrastructures in particle physics, astrophysics and astroparticle physics.

• The bilateral programmes of the Federal Government pro-mote research cooperations with priority countries with a high research potential. The aim is to set up long-term research part-nerships, currently with China, India, Russia, South Africa, Bra-zil, Chile, Japan and South Korea. The SNSF is responsible on the Swiss side for the organisation and evaluation of all calls for joint research projects during the 2013-2016 period.

• In the area of energy research aimed at implementing the Fed-eral Government's Energy Strat-egy 2050, the SNSF will receive additional funds for the promo-tion of young researchers, partic-ularly through SNSF professor-ships, and assume further tasks (see article on page 5).

In addition, the SNSF will contin-ue to be responsible for the scien-tific evaluation of the two national research initiatives SystemsX.ch (in systems biology) and Nano-Tera.ch (in the engineering sci-ences) for the next four years.

Daniel HöchliDirector of the Administra-tive Offices of the SNSF


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This summer, the Swiss parliament will dis-cuss the renewal of Switzerland's associa-tion to the European research and innova-tion framework programme. The Federal Council approved the relevant Dispatch on 27 February 2013. In a joint statement with its ERI partners, the SNSF supports the participation in the forthcoming Framework Programme “Horizon 2020”, which is key to the international success of Switzerland as a centre of research and innovation. As soon as the parameters of the forthcom-ing 8th Eu Framework Programme “Horizon 2020” are defined, the SNSF will compare it with the current 7th Framework Programme and analyse the new features so that it can adjust its funding activities if necessary. (06.03.2013)

The SNSF aims to be an excellent fund-ing body that funds excellent research. A team of researchers from Western Michi-gan university were engaged to find out whether this objective is being achieved. Their evaluation report is now available. After evaluating comprehensive data the uS research team has come to the conclu-sion that the SNSF achieves its objects to a very large degree. There is still room for improvement, however, with the ever-in-creasing workload of the National Research Council being particularly problematic. The SNSF is currently studying the report’s recommendations. It will make a statement on the evaluation and announce the meas-ures to be implemented in due course. (21.02.2013)

The SNSF supports the participation in the new EU Framework programme

The SNSF's evaluation procedure reviewed

The SNSF finances 44 new SNSF professorships

In February, the SNSF awarded 44 SNSF professorships to excellent young research-ers. They will be taking up their posts at eight Swiss universities and both federal institutes of technology. The average fund-ing they will receive is CHF 1.4 million per professorship over a four-year period, which is sufficient for them to recruit teams and set up their own projects. The proportion of researchers abroad who will return to Switzerland due to the SNSF professorship corresponds to the average percentage in recent years (32%). The proportion of fe-

male scientists who received an SNSF pro-fessorship this year is 23%. (07.03.2013)

Marie Heim-Vögtlin: 37 grants awarded in 2012

r'Equip: slight increase in demand

In December 2012, the SNSF awarded 37 Marie Heim-Vögtlin (MHV) grants to women researchers who had to interrupt or reduce their scientific activities due to family commitments. A total amount of 7.3 million Swiss francs was allocated. The 37 new recipients will begin or continue their research activities in 9 Swiss institu-tions of higher education. Postdoctoral researchers received 76% of the grants and doctoral students 24%. By financing a research project for up to two years, the MHV scheme facilitates the integration of women researchers in the academic envi-ronment and makes it possible for more women to pursue a scientific career while having a family. (14.02.2013)

The demand for the R'Equip funding scheme rose slightly in 2012 compared to the previous year: the SNSF received 76 R'Equip applications for funding research equipment. After evaluation, 58 applica-tions were approved and allocated a total amount of CHF 13.5 million. In the funding area “mathematics, natural and engineering sciences”, the SNSF approved 37 of the 47 applications submitted and awarded funds totalling CHF 7.3 million in 2012. While the number of applications decreased slightly here compared to 2011, a small increase was registered in the area of “biology and medicine”: the SNSF approved 21 of the 28 applications submitted and allocated a total of CHF 6.2 million. (29.01.2013)


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The SNSF has become a member of ApPEC, which aims to foster links be-tween European organisations for the benefit of astroparticle physics and to participate in devising a strategy in this area. The Swiss community submitted a resolution to the SNSF requesting it to become a member of the organisation. Astroparticle physics has developed into an important and attractive research field that today is concerned with implement-ing plans for large-scale research facili-ties. This made it necessary to adjust old coordination structures and transform them into a consortium. The coordina-tion committee was founded in 2001. After years of preparatory work, it has now been reorganised as a consortium. (27.02.2013)

The SNSF is now a member of the Astroparticle physics European Consortium (AppEC)

The March edition of Horizons cel-ebrates the 25th birthday of the magazine. To mark the occasion, it has been given a new graphic design. The contents are still of excellent quality, but the texts are more compact. This makes them more readable and leaves more room for images. All in all, the magazine has become visually more striking: the visual language aims to do more than just document and il-lustrate; it aims to express things in its own right. The main topic of the March edition is “All about Health”. Horizonte is published in a German and a French version. (01.03.2013)

The SNSF supports practice-oriented me-dia training courses for scientists. They are aimed primarily at researchers receiv-ing support from the SNSF, the CTI or the Gebert Rüf Stiftung. However, they are also open to other advanced researchers. During the two-day course, researchers will learn how to engage with representa-tives of the media. The courses in Ger-man will be held at the MAZ in Lucerne on the following dates: 14/15 June and 27/28 September 2013. The courses in French will take place at the Maison de la communication in Lausanne on the fol-lowing dates: 7/8 June and 7/8 Septem-ber 2013. (06.12.2012)

research magazine Horizons: a new look on its birthday

Media training for researchers: course schedule 2013

All the latest information from the SNSF is now available in real time on Twit-ter. Not only news, press releases and events will be published on the social network, but all job ads of the SNSF as well. The new Facebook profile of the SNSF offers interesting articles on the latest developments in science, infor-mation on the activities of the SNSF as well as all job advertisements. All news are published in German, French and English. (05.02.2013/07.03.2013)

Up to date information via Twitter and Facebook

The National Research Programme “Smart Materials” (NRP 62), run in cooperation with CTI, can look back on three suc-cessful years that brought numerous scientific publications, patent applica-tions and CTI project submissions. In addition, the interdisciplinary workshops for young researchers attracted a great deal of interest. The 21 projects of the first phase cover a broad spectrum of topics in domains ranging from basic research through to R&D. Basic research projects inspired the publication of arti-cles in renowned scientific journals. More use-inspired projects have already led to eight patent applications and three CTI project submissions. This output lives up to the high expectations placed in NRP 62. (24.01.2013)

Nrp 62 “Smart Materials” is on course


CuRRENT ISSuES

Research aimed at transforming energy National Research Programmes, setup of inter-university centres of competence and recruitment

of young researchers – the SNSF is contributing on different levels to the Federal Council's goal of strengthening energy research in Switzerland.

SCOPES – new phase in partnerships with Eastern Europe The research co-operation with Eastern Europe is being continued. Last year, the Swiss Agency

for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) signed an agreement to conduct SCOPES 2013-2016 with a budget of CHF 16 million.

• Geological principles of gold depos-its in the Western Balkans and South Caucasus

• New curricula for political studies in Bosnia-Herzegovina

• Experiments in particle physics at CERN with Serbian participation

• Introduction of organic farming in Albania, Bulgaria and Hungary

The research partnerships were focused on supporting research teams and insti-tutes in Eastern European countries (capacity building) in order to help smoothen the transition to democracy and a free market economy.

For the new SCOPES programme phase 2013-2016, there will be calls for both Joint Research Projects (JRPs) and Insti-tutional Partnerships (IPs) in March 2013 and spring 2014 respectively. Both calls are not bound to any specific topic and will be open for approximately six months. The JRPs will focus on research, while the IPs will be mainly devoted to improving conditions for Eastern Euro-pean research institutions. In addition, it will be possible to submit applications for conference and valorisation grants during the entire running time of the programme. EG

www.snsf.ch > International > Europe > SCOpES

Although the programme phase 2009-2012 of SCOPES has been formally con-cluded, many of the 99 approved pro-jects with partner countries in Eastern Europe are still running; they will be concluded either this year or the next. The scientific partnerships have again generated a wide range of research results and led to improvements at East-ern European research institutions.

Capacity building in Eastern EuropeThe research partnerships of the last programme phase dealt with various topics, such as: • Conservation of archaeological sites in

Georgia

Action plan: the SNSF contributionThe Federal Council has earmarked a total of CHF 202 million for the action plan ”Coordinated Energy Research Switzerland” during the 2013-2016 peri-od. CHF 118 million thereof will flow into the ”Energy” funding programme, which is being implemented by the CTI in collaboration with the SNSF. The pro-gramme will fund projects conducted together with industry partners (CHF 48 million) as well as the setup and operation of inter-university centres of competence (CHF 70 million). The lat-ter are to be selected through calls and evaluations conducted jointly by the CTI and the SNSF. Due to the SNSF'S long-standing experience in implementing programmes aimed at creating struc-tures, three of the seven experts on the Steering Committee established for the programme are members of the Research Council of the SNSF.

The main aim of the SNSF ”Energy” programme for the promotion of young

With its ”Energy strategy 2050”, the Fed-eral Government is aiming for a turn-around in energy policy that would increase energy efficiency and lead to a more widespread use of renewable sources of energy. Research has been identified as one of the strategic pillars for achieving this goal.

scientists is to increase the necessary research capacities by awarding SNSF professorships and Ambizione grants to young energy researchers. The Federal Government has set aside CHF 24 mil-lion in the action plan for this purpose.

Two Nrps to elaborate the principlesIn 2012, the Federal Council commis-sioned the SNSF to conduct the NRPs ”Transforming Energy” and ”Options for Controlling Final Energy Consumption”. Their purpose is to establish scientific principles for decision-making, par-ticularly in view of the ”Energy Strat-egy 2050”. The two NRPs have a budg-et of CHF 37 million and CHF 8 million respectively, and their implementation plans should be available by May 2013. In addition, energy-related applications submitted in response to the call for the fourth series of National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) have been shortlisted for the second round of evaluation. The relevant decisions will be made in autumn 2013. SUD

A challenge for researchers: improved energy efficien-cy and greater reliance on renewable energy sources are the key to transforming energy.

© Keystone


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published bySwiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Wildhainweg 3, P.O. Box 8232, 3001 Berne Tel ++41 (0)31 308 22 22 • Fax ++41 (0)31 301 30 09 • E-mail [email protected] • website www.snsf.ch

produced byCommunication division of the SNSF / Head of division: Philippe Trinchan

Editorial BoardAlan Knaus (chief editor)Corinne Ammann, Simon Breitenmoser, Nathalie Cottet, Evelyne Glättli (EG), Xavier Pilloud, Juliette Pont (JPO), Omar Solanki, Dimitri Sudan (SuD)

Design Agence Symbol, Granges-Paccot (FR)

printing Imprimerie Saint-Paul, Fribourg

Field observations on Sumatra and Borneo: Monopoly of the dominant male orangutan

The sexual development, mating habits and social hierarchy of the orangutans are more heavily de-pendent on their environment than had previous-ly been assumed: where the rain forest supplies more food, the influence of the dominant male increases because it has sufficient time to keep a close watch over the females in his environment. He drives out any other males with cheek pads before they can mate with a female. In order to escape his attention, many other males remain small; this makes it easier for them to copulate with a female. The fact that food supply in the for-est has such a strong impact on the mating behav-iour of the orangutan came as a surprise to Lynda Dunkel, holder of a Marie Heim-Vögtlin grant. “It goes to show”, she says, “that the organisation of these great apes – and perhaps that of our ances-tors as well – is more variable than we had hither-to assumed. Apparently, natural selection not only moulds appearance but also adapts social behav-iour to the conditions of the local environment.”

www.www.snsf.ch > Media > press releases

Sexually mature orangutan males can go through two different phases of development and differ greatly in appearance: the smaller ones (on the right) resemble the females and the larger ones (on the left) develop secondary sexual characteristics such as cheek pads and throat pouches.

SNSF Internal

The Executive Committee of the Foundation Coun-cil of the SNSF has elected the following persons as new members of the National Research Council:

Humanities and Social Sciences division:• Ola Söderström, Institute of Geography, univer-

sity of Neuchâtel, for ethnology and geography (as of 1 April 2013)

• Franz Caspar, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapie, university of Bern, for psy-chology (as of 1 April 2013)

• Katharina Maag Merki, Institute of Education, university of Zurich, for the educational sciences (as of 1 October 2013)

Paul Schubert from the university of Geneva was elected as President of the Humanities and Social Sciences division. He will take up office on 1 April 2013. In addition, Laurent Tissot from the uni-versity of Neuchâtel became the President of the Specialised Committee Interdisciplinary Research on 1 January 2013.

The President of the National Research Council, Martin Vetterli, was elected new President of the Equal Opportunities Commission of the SNSF as of 1 January 2013. The commission is looking into measures to reduce gender-specific barriers and create a level playing field where men and wom-en have equal opportunities.

Mathematics, Natural and Engineering Sciences division:• Lothar Thiele, Department of Information

Technology and Electrical Engineering, ETH Zurich, for information technology (as of 1 April 2013)

programmes division (as of 1 January 2013):• Katharina Michaelowa, Center for Comparative

and International studies, university of Zurich, for the social sciences

• Friedrich Eisenbrand, Discrete Optimization Group, EPF Lausanne, for computational sci-ence

National research Council: new members and presidents elected

SNSFinfo print, April 2013

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