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28 researchers in Switzerland receive the ERC grant – if they move to an EU country. Foreign universities want to use this.
The ERC Starting Grant, a 1.5 million euro grant from the Horizon Europe research program, is something like a gold medal for ambitious young scientists.
In the 2021 call for proposals, 28 researchers in Switzerland received this prestigious award. In order to collect the funds, however, they would have to move to an EU country, as Switzerland has been excluded from Horizon.
Universities in Europe sense their chance for top Swiss researchers. It’s fought hard for them, says SRF science editor Irène Dietschi. European universities would ensnare the Swiss ERC grantees with bold poaching attempts.
“Sweden, for example, unabashedly calls on its universities to lure winners of an ERC Starting Grant from Switzerland to their own country,” says Dietschi. Sweden’s argument: Swiss researchers need a new host university. The country even pays its universities a premium of one million Swedish crowns if they succeed in recruiting a Swiss ERC grant or its winner.
Legend:
The European Research Council ERC made it clear to the applicants early on that they could only receive the grant if they moved to a so-called associated country of the EU.
Keystone/Gaetan Bally
This type of poaching is unusual, but tempting. The science editor knows from an IT researcher at ETH Zurich that European universities would also offer her further support – in addition to the actual ERC grant.
These offers included additional funds, infrastructure such as a laboratory room or part-time positions for doctoral students. Long-term prospects would also be promised. If necessary, there would also be childcare or the search for a well-paid job for your partner.
The decision usually falls on Switzerland
Despite these opportunities, most would want to stay in Switzerland, Dietschi knows. She wrote to all 28 winners and received 15 specific answers.
The reasons they give are the good research environment in Switzerland, the fact that the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) or the National Science Foundation step in with money, colleagues at the institutes or private reasons.
But that doesn’t apply to everyone. Two of the winners transfer their project to an EU country to secure ERC support. And two of them replied that they were still undecided, but would very well consider leaving Switzerland given the current situation.
Money alone is not enough
Irène Dietschi draws the conclusion: Money alone does not keep the brightest minds in Switzerland. «All Grantees agree on that. It depends on the research field, on the possibilities of networking. And they are still available in Switzerland at the moment.” But that could change in the longer term, especially for young people.
One of the winners put it this way: “In the long term, no national funding structure stands a chance against the prestige, resources and competitiveness of EU funding.” Therefore, Switzerland must be accommodated again as soon as possible with the EU research program Horizon.