June 2021

NEWSLETTER - Research Services

HIGHLIGHTS

Horizon Europe starts now

The new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation « Horizon Europe » has been adopted and officially published in May 2021, with retroactive entry into force on 1 January 2021. The upcoming European Research and Innovation Days (23-24 June 2021) mark the effective start of the programme.
With an all-time record budget of 95.5 billion Euros over 7 years (2021-2027), Horizon Europe is the most ambitious EU R&I programme ever, designed to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic and paving the way for a greener and more digital future.
All calls for projects 2021, apart from some ERC, EIC and Covid-19 calls, are published in late June 2021, offering opportunities for individual and collaborative research projects in all scientific domains and encompassing basic to applied to marked-close research.
Concerning the Swiss association to Horizon Europe, the provisional arrangements with the EU remain valid despite the recent decision of the Federal Council not to sign the Institutional Framework Programme (InstA) CH-EU. Thus, Swiss researchers can and must participate to Horizon Europe as “Associated country” participants and request the funding of all their costs to the European Commission (EC Requested Contribution). In case of non-association at the time of the grant agreement signature, the funding would be provided directly through the SERI and relevant replacement schemes would be considered where necessary.
Horizon Europe starts now - take the opportunities!
Research Service provides up-to-date information and practical advice - contact us

RESEARCH SERVICES LATEST NEWS

Open Science in Horizon Europe

Open Science means sharing knowledge, data, tools as early and openly as possible, making them reusable to researchers from different disciplines, but also society, at large. Research will become more creative, responsive, efficient and of higher quality.
In Horizon Europe the following novelties have been introduced:
1. Obligation to ensure immediate open access via trusted repositories to peer-reviewed scientific publications. The publishing platform Open Research Europe (ORE) is made available for free and in line with the OS principles.
2. Obligation to retain sufficient IPRs.
3. Only publications fees in full OA venues is eligible for reimbursement (costs of publishing in hybrid journals no anymore reimbursed, e.g. Nature).
4. Obligation to establish and update a DMP in line with FAIR principles and including long-term preservation.
5. Obligation to data sharing as open as possible as closed as necessary.
6. Obligation to provide access to all research results needed for validation of the conclusions of the scientific publications.
7. In some cases, the use of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) might be an obligation.
8. In some cases, other specific OS practices might be required (e.g. involvement of citizens, OS to research outputs, etc.).
9. OS will be embedded throughout the programme e.g. as part of the award criteria for proposal evaluation and key impact indicators.

Open Research Europe (ORE)

Open Research Europe (ORE) is the new open access scientific publishing platform of the European Commission.
ORE enables H2020 and Horizon Europe beneficiaries to publish their research results meeting open access obligations at no costs for authors. It implements an open peer review process and interoperability with other platforms. It promotes transparency, reproducibility and reuse including citations to supporting FAIR data and material.
Information

Scientific integrity

The new code of conduct for scientific integrity is here
Swiss academic organisations have jointly updated the scientific integrity rules. They apply to all researchers funded by the SNSF.
Information

SNSF - Dataportal

937 million Swiss francs for 3300 new research projects
In 2020, researchers submitted 8200 grant applications to the SNSF. 3300 of them were selected for funding in a competitive process. At short notice, the SNSF funded 73 projects on COVID-19.
Information

SNSF - Updates

What's new in research funding?
More funds for Flexibility Grants, open-ended financing of open access book chapters, grants in case of care duties - three changes made by the SNSF. An overview of all the new clauses in SNSF regulations is available on the SNSF website.
Information

SNSF - Drawing lots as a tie-breaker

After a pilot phase, the SNSF is introducing the drawing of lots as a potential tie-breaker in all funding schemes. It may be used in cases where equally good proposals cannot be further differentiated objectively.
Information

SNSF - Innosuisse set up cooperation

SNSF and Innosuisse to step up cooperation. The implementation of research results is of central importance for the economy and society. The SNSF and Innosuisse have signed an agreement to further strengthen the interaction between science and innovation.
Information

SNSF - Data stories

Research funding in focus: even more transparent based on data stories
The SNSF meticulously examines its funding activities. From now on, we will publish these analyses on our data portal. To kick things off, we'll take a look at Open Access, ERC grants and women scientists during the pandemic.
information

FNS Newsletter
SEFRI Newsletter
Euresearch Newsletter

EVENTS

EOSC Symposium 2021

“Implementing an inclusive European Open Science Cloud”: EOSC has finally entered its implementation phase (2021-2027). Do you wish to be informed or contribute to shape the future of EOSC ?

16-18 June 2021 (online)
Information

European Research and Innovation Days

Annual flagship R&I event bringing together policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and the public to debate and shape European R&I. Organised by the European Commission.

23-24 June 2021
Programme and registration

Horizon Europe Info Days

Practical information on novelties, instruments and processes for prospective applicants, along 9 themes including research infrastructures, fellowships and collaborative projects.

28 June – 9 July 2021
Programme

HE - MSCA - Postdoctoral Fellowships

Online Applicant Training for Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships (previously “Individual Fellowships”)
This event is a one-day training for researchers (PostDoc) planning to apply to the 2021 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships call (deadline: 12.10.2021 – TBC).
Due to place restriction, preference will be given to applicants planning to apply with UNIGE or another host institution located in Geneva.

July 15, 2021 – 9.30am to 3.30pm
Online
Information and registration

SUCCESS STORIES

H2020 - MSCA - Individual Fellowships

Nine projects with UNIGE participation have been selected in 2021 for European funding under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions (MSCA). MSCA Individual Fellowships are addressed to experienced researchers who wish to develop their career prospects with a research experience abroad. All scientific domains can benefit from such a fellowship, with free choice of topic. These are the selected projects:
- Dr Shingo Nakazawa under the supervision of Prof. Denis Jabaudon – Department of Basic Neurosciences (Faculty of Medicine) for the project ArealPlasticity.
- Dr Geoffrey Gowlland under the supervision of Prof. Laurent Filliettaz – Section of Educational Sciences (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences) for the project ARPED,
- Dr Selmihan Sahin under the supervision of Prof. Ross Dean Milton – Department of Inorganic and Analytic Chemistry (Faculty of Science) for the project BERCO2,
- Dr Evangelia Bolli under the supervision of Prof. Mikaël Pittet – Department of Pathology and Immunology (Faculty of Medicine) for the project CINPinCB,
- Dr Céline Dürst under the supervision of Prof. Anthony Holtmaat – Department of Basic Neurosciences (Faculty of Medicine) for the project iMAC,
- Dr Jennifer Marie Kefauver under the supervision of Prof. Robbie Joséph Loewith – Department of Molecular Biology (Faculty of Science) for the project MEMTOR,
- Dr Marzia Varutti under the supervision of Prof. David Sander – Section of Psychology (Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences) for the project MusE,
- Dr Clauirton Siebra under the supervision of Prof. Katarzyna Wac – Center for Informatics (CUI) for the project Onto-mQoL
- Dr Isaac Tutusaus Lleixa under the supervision of Prof. Martin Kunz – Department of Theoretical Physics (Faculty of Science) for the project PRIMROSE

Congratulations to the new grantees!

ERC Starting Grants

Professor Vincent Bourrier of the Faculty of Sciences, Department of Nuclear and Corpuscular Physics, recently received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant (2021-2026) for the project SPICE DUNE - A SpectroPhotometric Inquiry of Close-in Exoplanets around the Desert to Understand their Nature and Evolution.
Professor Federico D’Onofrio of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Institut Paul Bairoch / Department of History, Economic and Society, recently received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant (2021-2026) for the project Datarev – Leading the first data revolution in European agriculture: farm accountancy data and their impact 1870-1945.
Professor Maël Lebreton of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, recently received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant (2021-2026) for the project INFORL - Characterizing information integration in reinforcement learning: a neuro-computational investigation.
Professor Sascha Hoogendoorn of the Faculty of Sciences, Department of organic chemistry, recently received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant (2021-2026) for the project DestCilia – Destination Cilium: towards selective probing and perturbation of ciliary signaling.
Professor Steven Schramm the Faculty of Sciences, Department of nuclear and corpusculary physics, recently received a prestigious ERC Starting Grant (2021-2026) for the project DISCOVERHEP - Turning noise into data: a discovery strategy for new weakly-interacting physics.

Congratulations to the new grantees!

ERC Consolidator Grant

Professor Christoph Scheiermann of the Faculty of Medicine, Department of pathology and immunology recently received a prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant (2021-2026) for the project CIRCADYN - Regulation and relevance of circadian leukocyte dynamics for skin immune homeostasis.

Congratulations to the new grantee!

PRIMA

Securing a PRIMA grant is an important step on the road to a professorship. The career development of grantees Camilla Jandus and Alba Grassi are testimony to this: they have both been appointed professors.
Information

Congratulations to the new grantees!

BRIDGE

Professor Jean-Pierre Wolf, Faculty of Science, distinguished.
For the fourth time, the SNSF and Innosuisse are funding excellent research projects that show economic and social potential. In total, they have awarded grants worth 10.8 million francs.
Information

Congratulations to the new grantee!

CALLS FOR PROJECTS - SUBMISSION DEADLINES

Horizon Europe

First calls for proposals have opened recently (ERC, EIC, Covid-19) and many others (Clusters, MSCA, etc.) are opening now (late June / early July):
Open calls (Euresearch)

Switzerland Innovation Tech4Impact Initiative

2nd call for projects « Switzerland Innovation Tech4Impact Initiative » (SI Tech4Impact)
Informations

European Innovation Council (EIC)

The EIC Transition and Accelerator calls are already open. The EIC Pathfinder Open call closed the 25 May 2021 and the EIC Pathfinder Challenges call is foreseen to open the 15 June 2021.
Here you can find the list of open calls.

SNSF - Japan

8th call of the European Interest Group CONCERT-Japan
SNSF is participating in the next joint call of the EIG CONCERT-Japan on Sustainable Hydrogen Technology as Affordable and Clean Energy
Information
Submission deadline: 9 July 2021

SNSF -T-AP

Call with the Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP)
The SNSF is participating in the Trans-Atlantic Platform (T-AP) for Social Science and Humanities (SSH), which is a collaboration between research funders from South America, North America and Europe.
Information
Submission deadline: 12 July 2021

SNSF - Practice-to-Science

Practice-to-Science grants are awarded in all disciplines taught at universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education. Their primary aim is to make use-inspired research more competitive.
Information
Submission deadline: 15 July 2021

SNSF - Postdoc.Mobility

Postdoc.Mobility fellowships support postdocs who wish to conduct a research stay abroad.
Information
Submission deadline: 1st August 2021

SNSF - NRP 79

The call for NRP 79 is now open.
Interested researchers can submit their pre-proposals for NRP 79 until 3 August 2021
Information
Submission deadline: 3 August 2021

HE - ERC

ERC: FIRST CALL FOR ERC Advanced Grants
ERC Advanced Grants are individual grants designed to support excellent Principal Investigators at the career stage at which they are already established research leaders with a recognised track record of research achievements for experienced researchers.
The call opened on 20 May 2021.
NEW: Researchers whose proposal are retained for the second step of the evaluation will be invited to an interview.
For the Letter of Commitment of the Host Institution required for all ERC applications, please consult our web page and inform Euresearch as early as possible and one month before submission deadline at the latest.
Submission deadline: 31 August 2021 17:00 Brussels time

HE - ERC

ERC: UPCOMING CALLS UNDER WORK PROGRAMME 2022
The status of Switzerland as regards the framework programme Horizon Europe is still under negotiation. Relevant information on the status of Switzerland in Horizon Europe can be found on the webpage of the State Secretariat of Education and Research SERI. Researchers should however plan ahead if they wish to submit a proposal for an ERC grant.
The ERC has published tentative dates for the calls 2022 as follows:
Synergy Grants: call opens 15 July 2021; call closes 10 November 2021
Proof of Concept: call opens 15 July 2021; call closes 14 October 2021
Starting Grant: call opens 29 September 2021; call closes 13 January 2022
Consolidator Grant: call opens 19 October 2021; call closes 17 March 2022
Proof of Concept: call opens 16 November 2021: call closes 15/02, 19/05, 29/09 2022
Advanced Grant: call opens 20 January 2022; call closes 28 April 2022

HE - MSCA - Postdoctoral Fellowships

HE-MSCA - Postdoctoral Fellowships (previously “Individual Fellowships”)
PostDoc research fellowships in all scientific domains with free choice of topic.
Submission deadline: October 12, 2021 (TBC)
Information

COST

COST funds pan-European, multi- and interdisciplinary, bottom-up networks of researchers across all science and technology fields. COST does not fund research itself, but provides support for networking activities carried out within COST Actions.
Submission deadline: October 29, 2021
Information

SNSF - Ambizione

Ambizione grants are aimed at young researchers who wish to conduct, manage and lead an independent project at a Swiss higher education institution.
Submission deadline : November 1st, 2021
Information

SNSF - PRIMA

PRIMA grants are aimed at excellent women researchers who show a high potential for obtaining a professorship. PRIMA grantees conduct an independent research project with their own team at least at the group leader level within a Swiss research institution.
Submission deadline : November 1st, 2021
Information

HE - MSCA - Doctoral Networks

HE-MSCA - Doctoral Networks (previously “Innovative Training Networks”)
Doctoral networks implemented by universities, research institutions and businesses, with the aim of training a new generation of researchers.
Submission deadline: November 16, 2021 (TBC)
Information

More calls

CONTACTS

Dr Laure Ognois-Zaugg
Director Research Services

Dr Alex Waehry
Head European and international research support − Euresearch

Dr Caroline Loutre
Head National and regional support

Research Services website