At its meeting on March 1 and 2, 2010, the ETH Board (the strategic management and supervisory body of the ETH Domain) pressed ahead with the completion of the strategic planning for 2012-2016 in conjunction with the institutions of the ETH Domain. Within this framework, the ETH Board attaches great importance to specific major projects from basic research, including the continued implementation of the high-performance computing (HPCN) strategy led by ETH Zurich.

Such national research infrastructure projects are crucial in order to maintain the innovative strength and competitiveness of future industries in Switzerland. However, the growth demanded by society and politics in terms of education also has to be funded, which will present a significant challenge in light of the Swiss federal government’s current budget situation.

Basic research is worth supporting

The ETH Board thus embraces the draft for a new Federal Law to Promote Research and Innovation (LPRI). It will adapt the legal framework to today’s reality. For the long-term success of science and innovation in Switzerland, however, the ETH Board deems it crucial that basic research be mentioned explicitly in the new promotion law. Its promotion should be on a par with that of applied research. “Basic research begins with the human race’s natural thirst for knowledge. Its merit lies in developing unpredictable innovations, making it a fundamental ingredient in our cultural heritage and a way of safeguarding the future for Switzerland. That’s why it’s worth supporting”, says Fritz Schiesser, President of the ETH Board.

As international research projects and transnational collaborations are becoming increasingly important for research and innovation in Switzerland, the ETH Board calls for the Swiss Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI) to be granted the same authority in international research promotion as the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). With regard to existing and future strategic alliances, the ETH Board also insists that the so-called “research institutions of national importance” (e.g. the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology CSEM) should not end up less well off financially through the new law than they are now.

Institutions of the ETH Domain intensify cooperation

The ETH Board concluded that the institutions of the ETH Domain have expanded the cooperation within the ETH Domain themselves and with other universities.It also confirmed the project to strengthen the joint presence of the institutions in the ETH Domain. President of the ETH Board Fritz Schiesser adds: “The collaboration of the six institutions in the ETH Domain generates a lot of added value and makes a significant contribution toward the international appeal of Switzerland as a research location. Our surveys show that whilst we shouldn’t merge the trademarks of the two universities and four research institutions, we have to present our common added value more effectively.”

Swiss federal government cuts jeopardize task completion

The ETH Board was recently informed that the Swiss Federal Council intends to reduce the 2011 annual installment set forth in the four-year plan substantially. This creates a difficult situation for the institutions in the ETH Domain. Consequently, the ETH Board has deferred the allocation of funds for 2011. The ETH Board reiterates that the staff costs, for example, (around 70% of the ETH Domain’s budget) cannot simply be reduced in the semi-public sector. Significant payments by the ETH Board are also required by politics for individual projects, meaning that the amount of leeway the ETH Domain has is too limited. In his previous role as member of the Council of States, President of the ETH Board Fritz Schiesser had already pointed out that education and research are of a long-term nature and that their funding cannot be treated as a plaything every year.

The Vice-President of the ETH Board, Paul L. Herrling says, “The Swiss economy is reliant on top young talent from basic research and the applied disciplines of the ETH Domain. As an industrial representative, I’m delighted about the increase in the number of students in relevant subjects at both ETH institutions. The two ETH institutions do not make any sacrifices in terms of quality, but this also requires sufficient staff and the corresponding financial resources.”

New professors

At the request of the President of ETH Zurich, Ralph Eichler, the ETH Board has appointed the following people as full professors at ETH Zurich:

• Christophe Copéret (*1970), currently CNRS Research Director at the Université de Lyon in France, as full professor of surface and interface chemistry.
• Stefanie Hellweg (1971), currently associate professor of environmental systems design at ETH Zurich, as full professor of environmental systems design.
• Norbert Hungerbühler (*1964), currently full professor of mathematics at the Université de Fribourg, as full professor of mathematics and education.
• David J. Norris (*1968), currently professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, USA, as full professor of materials engineering.
• Olivier Voinnet (*1972), currently Directeur de Recherche at the Institut de Biologie Moléculaire des Plantes du CNRS in Strasbourg, France, as a full professor of RNA biology.

The following person was appointed as an associate professor at ETH Zurich:

• Christian Wolfrum (*1972), currently assistant professor of obesity research at ETH Zurich, as associate professor of translational nutrition biology.

The ETH Board has registered the retirement of the following professors at ETH Zurich by July 31, 2010:

• Pius Schubiger (*1945), full professor of radiopharmacy at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at ETH Zurich an Head of the Center for Radiopharmaceutical Science at the PSI and at the Clinic for Nuclear Medicine at the University of Zurich.
• Klaus Fröhlich (*1945), full professor of electrical power transfer and high-voltage technology at ETH Zurich and Head of the High Voltage Technology Group.
• Alfons Baiker (*1945), full professor of chemistry.