A proud moment for ETH Zurich – nine scientists from various disciplines have just been awarded a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). This prestigious funding opportunity enables researchers at the beginning of their careers to set up a research group and implement new ideas.

A wide range of disciplines, from material sciences to physics to the humanities, are represented in the projects. The grants will see ETH receive around CHF 13.5 million in funding. One of the projects (Serina Robinson) will be led by Eawag.

18 percent of ETH applications were successful

The ETH researchers also achieved above-average success when compared to Europe as a whole. Of the 49 ETH applications submitted, 16 (32 percent) reached the second evaluation stage, nine of which will now benefit from the funding. Two projects are on the reserve list and could still be funded. This puts the success rate for ETH applications at 18.4 percent. The European average is usually between 10 and 15 percent.

The award is not only a personal success for the researchers, but also proof that ETH researchers continue to be competitive on the European stage. In years gone by, researchers at Swiss universities were excluded from most ERC calls for proposals due to the failed framework agreement with the EU. They were only able to apply for national personal grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation that were of a similar amount. But there was no opportunity to compare their scientific expertise with other European researchers.

Thanks to a transitional arrangement, researchers at Swiss universities have been considered beneficiaries since the beginning of 2025 and can once again directly apply for EU funding. The Starting Grant projects reviewed by the ERC are financed from the joint EU fund.

An appeal to politicians

“I’m delighted that our young researchers have proved so successful,” says Annette Oxenius, Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich. However, she stresses that this cannot hide the fact that European research funding for academics working in Switzerland is still not secure.

 “The current transitional arrangement is a step forward, but it is not a substitute for full associate membership of the European research program Horizon Europe,” Oxenius points out. Switzerland must therefore once again become a fully fledged partner in the European Research Area. “This is the only way to ensure that our universities remain competitive in the long term.”

She therefore calls on Swiss politicians to stabilise bilateral relations with the EU and pave the way for long-term participation in Horizon Europe. “Scientific excellence knows no borders,” says the Vice President for Research.