EAER launches new series of National Centres of Competence in Research

Bern, 17.12.2013 - During a press conference in Bern today Federal Councillor Johann N. Schneider-Ammann announced the creation of eight new National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR). They will be set up with the long term support of the respective university management at the universities of Basel, Bern (2), Fribourg, Geneva and Neuchâtel, as well as at the EPF Lausanne and the ETH Zurich. In addition, the University of Geneva and the ETH Zurich (3) will be involved in four of the new NCCRs as Co-Leading Houses. Between 2014 and 2017 the Confederation is investing around CHF 30 million a year in the National Centres of Competence in Research.

The creation of the new National Centres of Competence in Research is the result of the call for proposals by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) started in 2011, which received a total of 60 applications. Following a scientific assessment of the applications by the SNSF, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research EAER decided to create eight new NCCRs. In addition to scientific quality, they also fulfil the extremely important criterion of long term support in the development plans of the applicant higher education institutions.

The new National Centres of Competence in Research are as follows:

  • NCCR PlanetS
    Prof. Willy Benz, University of Bern (Co-Leading House: University of Geneva)
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 17.6 million^
  • NCCR On the Move: The Migration-Mobility Nexus
    Prof. Gianni D'Amato, University of Neuchâtel
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 17.2 million
  • NCCR Digital Fabrication - Advanced Building Processes in Architecture
    Prof. Matthias Daniel Kohler, ETH Zurich
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 13.4 million
  • NCCR Materials' Revolution: Computational Design and Discovery of Novel Materials (MARVEL)
    Prof. Nicola Marzari, ETH Lausanne
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 18 million
  • NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering
    Prof. Wolfgang Meier, University of Basel (Co-Leading House: ETH Zurich)
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 16.9 million
  • NCCR RNA & Disease: Understanding the Role of RNA Biology in
    Disease Mechanisms
    Prof. Oliver Mühlemann, University of Bern (Co-Leading House: ETH Zurich)
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 16.6 million
  • NCCR The Mathematics of Physics - SwissMAP
    Prof. Stanislav Smirnov, University of Geneva (Co-Leading House: ETH Zurich)
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 11.2 million
  • NCCR Centre for Bio-Inspired Stimuli-Responsive Materials
    Prof. Christoph Weder, University of Fribourg
    Federal funding 2014 - 2017: CHF 12 million

Through the National Centres of Competence in Research, the Confederation has been supporting research networks of the highest quality, with particular emphasis on interdisciplinary and new innovative approaches within disciplines since 2001. With the new NCCRs there will be a total 21 National Centres of Competence in Research as of 2014. They will benefit from a significant level of federal funding over a period of up to twelve years.

Under the established procedure the Swiss National Science Foundation, together with foreign experts, regularly monitors the progress of the individual NCCRs. The resulting picture is extremely positive: National Centres of Competence in Research produce gains in terms of scientific findings and sustainable renewal of research structures in higher education institutions. Furthermore, they improve the division of labour and coordination among national research institutions, enhance equal opportunities and drive knowledge and technology transfer.


Address for enquiries

Gregor Haefliger, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI,
Head, National Research Division, Tel. +41 (0)31 322 96 76



Publisher

Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
http://www.wbf.admin.ch

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