Horizon Europe and the ERC Grants - what now applies to ETH researchers

For researchers at ETH Zurich and throughout Switzerland, the year 2025 has begun with good news: Since 1 January 2025, they have once again been eligible for almost all calls for proposals for European research and innovation funding. This admission applies in particular to the prestigious ERC grants of the European Research Council, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions and participation as full members in collaborative research projects, including the management (so-called project coordination) of international research collaborations in Horizon Europe and Euratom.

For three and a half years, these programmes were not accessible to researchers in Switzerland - yet they are crucial for scientific career development. They support the development of an independent, internationally recognised line of research and strengthen not only the European Research Area, but also Switzerland as a research location. Finally, this funding makes a significant contribution to encouraging talented scientists to come to Switzerland to conduct research here. The ERC grants are the highest standard for top-level research in Europe and a seal of quality for excellent science worldwide.

Research funding directly from the EU again

"We are delighted that our researchers are once again allowed to take part in the ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie calls and are once again back in a position to coordinate research collaborations. This is important for our researchers. I would like to thank the Federal Council and the Swiss negotiating delegation for making this access possible again," says Christian Wolfrum, Vice President for Research. "I encourage ETH researchers to seize this opportunity and apply for European funding."

Since 1 January 2025, the European Union (EU) has a external pagetransitional arrangement that allows ETH researchers to participate in almost all calls for proposals under the Horizon Europe, Euratom and Digital Europe programmes. Although Switzerland is still not a fully associated member of the EU research and innovation funding programmes, the status of researchers in Switzerland has now changed: They are now considered a "Beneficiary" and no longer an "Associated Partner" as before.

Beneficiary status means that ETH researchers can once again participate in European research programmes as full and equal project partners and apply directly to the EU for funding. In contrast, "Associated Partners" do not receive direct EU funding. From 2021 to 2024, ETH researchers were allowed to participate in Horizon Europe or Euratom, but funding had to be provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.

In addition, ETH researchers may now once again act as project coordinators. This role offers more room for manoeuvre, as a project coordinator bears the main responsibility and represents the consortium externally. In contrast, an "Associated Partner" participates in the realisation of project tasks in a supporting role.

Strategic and security-relevant areas not open

The re-admission is valid from this year until further notice. Thanks to the EU transitional arrangement, this re-admission is formally secured for the current EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon Europe), which runs until 2027. However, Switzerland is still not fully associated. Until an association agreement (known as EU Programme Agreement, EUPA) is signed, Switzerland will formally remain a non-associated third country in Horizon Europe.

As a result, there are still programmes that are not accessible to researchers in Switzerland. For example, ETH researchers are not allowed to participate in programmes that the EU classifies as strategic and security relevant. In Horizon Europe, this applies in particular to quantum and space research. In Digital Europe, ETH researchers are excluded from the areas of cybersecurity and semiconductors, which are relevant to security and economic policy.

ETH's research and development initiatives, such as the SwissChips Initiative (together with EPFL), the space activities of ETH Zurich | Space and the Quantum Centre, ETH Zurich with its focus on quantum science and technology, therefore remain of great importance. Switzerland will again participate in the ITER research infrastructure, which aims to develop nuclear fusion as an energy source, from 2026 under the same conditions as until 2020 (cf. external pagefurther information).

The transitional measures of the Swiss National Science Foundation ended with the start of the EU transitional arrangement: the SNSF had introduced the SNSF Grants as a transitional measure on behalf of the federal government. These largely corresponded to the European ERC grants but could not completely replace them. The SNSF grants already awarded will be continued.

This article was first published on 29 January by ETH Zurich.