New EU grants are open to researchers in Switzerland
Published: Tuesday, Nov 12th 2024, 18:10
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As of Wednesday, researchers in Switzerland can apply for new calls for proposals under the EU research program Horizon Europe. This decision by the European Commission was made in connection with the ongoing negotiations between Switzerland and the EU for new and updated bilateral agreements.
Specifically, researchers in Switzerland will have access to ERC Proof of Concept Grants, as announced by the European Research Council (ERC) on Tuesday. It is a unique opportunity to unlock the commercial or social potential for groundbreaking work, wrote the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) in a post on X.
This decision is a "clear sign" from the European Commission of "goodwill" in the negotiation process and goes beyond what the Commission committed to in the common understanding, the ERC wrote. Back in July, three calls for proposals were also opened up to researchers in Switzerland. At the time, there was also talk of "goodwill" on the part of the Commission.
Furthermore, the agreements on any subsidies could only be signed if the association agreement between Switzerland and the EU was in force at that time.
ERC Grants open again since May
The discussion about Swiss participation in the EU research program has a long history. Following the breakdown of negotiations on a framework agreement between Switzerland and the EU in spring 2021, Brussels initially classified Switzerland as a non-associated third country.
Researchers in Switzerland have only been able to apply for certain ERC grants from Horizon Europe again since May of this year. Specifically, with the resumption of negotiations between the Federal Council and the EU Commission in March 2024, Switzerland will once again be treated as an associated third country for grants.
©Keystone/SDA
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