Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research
Bern, November 19, 2021 – In the presence of Federal President Guy Parmelin, Matthias Egger, President of the Swiss National Science Foundation, and Sethuraman Panchanathan, President of the American National Science Foundation, signed a letter of intent. In this way, the two organizations create the basis for long-term cooperation in research funding.
The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the American National Science Foundation (NSF) want to work together even more intensively in the future and further expand their bilateral cooperation. “The USA is already Switzerland’s most important partner country in bilateral research cooperation, and with this agreement we are continuing our common success story,” says Federal President Guy Parmelin.
A first measure of the declaration of intent provides that researchers in Switzerland and the USA only submit one application for funding for joint projects. The SNSF or the NSF will evaluate the project and no longer both organizations as before. This so-called lead agency procedure significantly reduces the workload for both researchers and funding organizations.
Around 15% of the researchers’ publications in Switzerland are made with US participation. In the past five years, the SNSF has financed over 5000 projects in Switzerland that have an element of cooperation with the USA.
To date, the SNSF has concluded lead agency agreements with numerous European countries as well as with South Africa and the São Paulo region in Brazil. It finances several hundred research projects per year under these agreements.
The exchange with the research funding agencies concluded the trip to the USA by Federal President Guy Parmelin, who heads the Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research (EAER).
Address for queries
Communication WBF
[email protected]
+41 58 462 20 07
editor
Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research
http://www.wbf.admin.ch
–
– .
