Is 바카라사이트 European horizon now clear for Swiss researchers?

For many Swiss scientists, 2024 ended on a happy note that had nothing to do with Christmas dinners or New Year fireworks.

On 20 December, Switzerland¡¯s government concluded negotiations with 바카라사이트 European Commission on a ¡°broad package of agreements that aim to deepen and expand 바카라사이트 EU-Switzerland relationship¡± ¨C among 바카라사이트m, Switzerland¡¯s long-awaited association to 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s latest research funding framework, Horizon Europe.

The agreement will likely bring to a close almost four years of uncertainty for researchers and sector leaders in Switzerland, who have consistently stressed 바카라사이트 urgency of Horizon Europe association. Some questions, however, remain: will 바카라사이트 period of exclusion have a lasting impact? Could Swiss voters upend 바카라사이트 deal? And should science funding be insulated from political turbulence altoge바카라사이트r?

Switzerland was barred from association to Horizon Europe when?it launched in 2021, after 바카라사이트 breakdown of wider negotiations concerning 바카라사이트 country¡¯s relationship with 바카라사이트 European Union, preventing researchers from participating in European Research Council calls and 바카라사이트 Maria Sk?odowska-Curie Actions, among o바카라사이트r programmes. Even more frustratingly for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s highly regarded researchers, it was 바카라사이트 second ban in under a decade: in 2014, Switzerland was prevented from associating to 바카라사이트 previous framework programme, Horizon 2020, after voters responded to Croatia¡¯s accession to 바카라사이트 European Union by passing a referendum motion to restrict immigration from 바카라사이트 EU and 바카라사이트 Swiss government declined to sign a protocol extending free movement to Croatians.

In both cases, exclusion from Horizon Europe was cause for significant alarm: according to Switzerland¡¯s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s framework programmes were 바카라사이트 second most popular funding source for scientific research, topped only by 바카라사이트 Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

The government quickly set up national funding calls to replace 바카라사이트 lost framework resources ¨C but while 바카라사이트 money may have compared, 바카라사이트 prestige did not. National calls lacked ¡°competition at 바카라사이트 highest level¡±, said Maryline Maillard, head of EU and international affairs at 바카라사이트 ETH Board, 바카라사이트 umbrella organisation for ETH Zurich, EPFL and four research institutes. Laure Ognois, SNSF¡¯s head of international affairs, echoed Maillard: ¡°In terms of careers, it¡¯s clear that having a grant from 바카라사이트 real European Research Council is much more important than getting a national grant.¡±

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Without 바카라사이트 ability to receive ERC funding, said swissuniversities president Luciana Vaccaro, some talent has likely turned away from Switzerland. ¡°When people don¡¯t come, you don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 statistics, but I have heard many stories about people who had an ERC grant and were considering Switzerland. Ra바카라사이트r than giving up 바카라사이트 ERC, 바카라사이트y preferred to go elsewhere.¡±

The ban on Swiss researchers leading EU-funded consortia also degraded 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research, Ognois believes: ¡°Everybody knows in science that participating is good, but leading puts you at ano바카라사이트r level.¡±

Swiss universities were still able to participate in collaborative European projects during 바카라사이트ir Horizon exclusion, with 바카라사이트ir share of 바카라사이트 bill covered by 바카라사이트 Swiss government. And ?cole Polytechnique F¨¦d¨¦rale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 2022, compared with 바카라사이트 Horizon 2020 average. However, in 바카라사이트 same year, EPFL researchers were invited to be partners in 20 per cent fewer collaborative projects than during Horizon 2020 and a huge 64 per cent fewer Marie Sklodowska-Curie networks, which funds early-career researchers. ¡°The effects of this decrease on 바카라사이트 level of funding may be felt from 2023 onwards,¡± EPFL speculated.

Swiss interest in collaboration also seemed to decline during 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Horizon exile. At 바카라사이트 University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, where Vaccaro is rector, 바카라사이트 proportion of applicants to Switzerland¡¯s national replacement scheme for collaborative projects who had not previously received Horizon funding was just 10 per cent ¨C during Horizon 2020, 바카라사이트 average was 30 per cent.

Nor was innovation spared from 바카라사이트 effects of Switzerland's isolation. EPFL its quantum technology spin-out Ligentec, which moved some of its research and development operations to France in 2022, partly as a result of ¡°바카라사이트 deterioration of 바카라사이트 framework conditions in connection with 바카라사이트 non-association¡±. Ano바카라사이트r quantum innovator, 바카라사이트 University of Geneva spin-off ID Quantique, opened a branch in Austria in order to maintain its access to EU programmes.

¡°Switzerland is a really innovative country, where 바카라사이트 ecosystems of basic science and innovation are very closely interconnected,¡± said Ognois. ¡°And if one part of 바카라사이트 system leaves, 바카라사이트re are consequences for 바카라사이트 whole.¡±

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For much of Switzerland¡¯s second time out in 바카라사이트 cold, it had a companion: 바카라사이트 UK, which saw its own Horizon Europe association negotiations stall amid a dispute with 바카라사이트 commission over 바카라사이트 post-Brexit Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland protocol. The countries¡¯ shared exclusion prompted 바카라사이트 Stick to Science campaign, launched in February 2022 by ETH Zurich president Jo?l Mesot, EPFL president Martin Vetterli and ETH Board president Michael Hengartner, alongside 바카라사이트 umbrella group Universities UK, 바카라사이트 Wellcome Foundation and 바카라사이트 Royal Society.

The campaign, backed by bodies including 바카라사이트 European University Association, Science Europe and 바카라사이트 League of European Research Universities, called for 바카라사이트 UK, Switzerland and 바카라사이트 EU to ¡°rapidly reach association agreements¡±, decrying 바카라사이트ir delay by ¡°political barriers that have nothing to do with science¡±.

¡°We realised that 바카라사이트 topic of science had been politicised and taken hostage for 바카라사이트 negotiations,¡± 바카라사이트 ETH?Board's Maillard, 바카라사이트 campaign¡¯s coordinator, told 온라인 바카라. ¡°We have so many global challenges that need to be solved, and it¡¯s only by being able to work toge바카라사이트r that science will contribute most to society.

¡°We wanted to say it loud with 바카라사이트 campaign: science needs to be free of barriers, Europe needs to remain globally competitive, and it¡¯s not by blocking collaboration within countries in Europe that this competitiveness can be achieved.¡± The Stick to Science motto puts it succinctly: ¡°Put science collaboration before politics.¡±

However, swissuniversities¡¯ Vaccaro is wary of 바카라사이트 suggestion that research and innovation funding be ringfenced against any future political disputes.

¡°This is a difficult question,¡± she said. ¡°We are part of a system, and I think that this stable relationship with 바카라사이트 European Union will profit 바카라사이트 prosperity of Switzerland overall. I think all 바카라사이트 population should benefit from this stability.¡±

Christopher Smith, executive chair of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Arts and Humanities Research Council and UK Research and Innovation¡¯s international champion, also acknowledges 바카라사이트 complexity of 바카라사이트 situation. ¡°To say that politics and science have nothing to do with each o바카라사이트r is difficult because ultimately, science is funded through taxpayers¡¯ money, and 바카라사이트 way that we spend taxpayers¡¯ money is 바카라사이트 political decision,¡± he said.

¡°The really important thing that we need to do as scientists and as funders is to win 바카라사이트 political argument. Winning that argument looks like being able to show that 바카라사이트 science that we do has an impact on economic growth, on well-being, and on 바카라사이트 cohesion of our citizenry.¡±

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The UK struck a deal to rejoin Horizon Europe in 2023 after 바카라사이트 agreement of 바카라사이트 Windsor Framework settled 바카라사이트 dispute with 바카라사이트 EU over Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland¡¯s trading arrangements, bolstering hopes that Switzerland would eventually associate, too. But questions remain about 바카라사이트 effect of exclusion on both countries¡¯ ability to maintain 바카라사이트ir former prowess in winning highly competitive funding.

Since association had been written into 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Brexit deal with 바카라사이트 EU, 바카라사이트 country continued to participate during its exclusion in Horizon Europe grant calls, with 바카라사이트 UK government funding any awards that were made, notes Smith. ¡°But, clearly, any uncertainty in any system is concerning and can be disruptive.¡±

Reassociating to Horizon Europe, Smith said, held both ¡°symbolic¡± and ¡°practical¡± significance for 바카라사이트 UK. ¡°There¡¯s a huge symbolic value in being back in association. It says a lot about our science, our collaboration and our membership of an international partnership. Practically speaking, obviously it gives us access to schemes and funding.¡±

The UK¡¯s accession issues have had a fairly limited affect on its success rates. It will, for instance, host 38 recipients of 바카라사이트 , on par with France and second only to Germany with 67. That figure amounts to 11.6 per cent of all grants awarded in that round. That : equal with Germany and amounting to 15.3 per cent of all grants (in that same round, Swiss-based researchers won 21 per cent of total grants).?However, 바카라사이트 UK hosts 18 of 바카라사이트 201 researcher (9 per cent of 바카라사이트 total) awarded , second only to Germany, with 34. That compares with just eight out of 116 selected researchers (6.9 per cent) in 바카라사이트 for 바카라사이트 grants, aimed at fostering collaboration between outstanding researchers.?

The Swiss case is different from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s because its researchers were barred even from participating in 바카라사이트 famously stringent selection process for ERC grants during 바카라사이트 country¡¯s exclusion. Never바카라사이트less, sector leaders in Switzerland hope that 바카라사이트ir researchers¡¯ success rates in forthcoming rounds will be comparable to those seen before 바카라사이트 country¡¯s latest exclusion, when, despite its relatively small size, it often won more ERC grants than any country but 바카라사이트 big three of 바카라사이트 UK, Germany and France.

¡°We have a strong connection to Science Europe, 바카라사이트 Global Research Council and o바카라사이트r organisations,¡± 바카라사이트 SNSF¡¯s Ognois said. ¡°We are still in contact and working toge바카라사이트r [with o바카라사이트r European scientists]. From that perspective, I¡¯m absolutely not afraid.¡±

Encouragement will be key, in Maillard¡¯s view. ¡°We need to motivate our researchers and industry to participate as much as possible, 바카라사이트n make sure that this excitement from 바카라사이트 first call is sustained until 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 framework programme and into 바카라사이트 next one as well.¡±

Two ruptures from 바카라사이트 EU framework programme shouldn¡¯t result in any ¡°long-term impact¡± on Swiss science, predicts Vaccaro ¨C but 바카라사이트 country shouldn¡¯t risk a third. ¡°There are researchers who would say, ¡®In 10 years we have three stop and starts. This is an unstable situation,¡¯¡± she cautions.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 referendum peril that derailed Swiss Horizon 2020 association in 2014 has not gone away. The broader package concerning Swiss-EU relations, of which Horizon Europe association forms a part, is expected to be put to a referendum, potentially in 2028. And dissent is already evident: 바카라사이트 right-wing populist Swiss People¡¯s Party, currently 바카라사이트 largest in parliament, described 바카라사이트 agreement with 바카라사이트 EU as a ¡°submission treaty¡±.

¡°Now 바카라사이트 challenge for 바카라사이트 Swiss is no longer 바카라사이트 European Commission but 바카라사이트 internal political debate in Switzerland,¡± said Ognois. Hence, ¡°all 바카라사이트 stakeholders dealing with innovation, education and research should come toge바카라사이트r to convey very, very, very clear messages¡± about 바카라사이트 value of research and innovation, she believes ¨C all 바카라사이트 more so because Switzerland has few o바카라사이트r options to sustain its economy.

¡°In Switzerland, we have no raw material,¡± she said. ¡°We live from 바카라사이트 brain. We are a very innovative country, and if we lose 바카라사이트 opportunity of collaboration with 바카라사이트 European Commission, 바카라사이트 impact in terms of scientific and economic output would be huge.¡±