Grants Office Newsletter September 2020

We hope that you all had a nice summer and a smooth start to the semester. With this issue of our newsletter we inform you about the ‘State of Play’ of Horizon Europe. Even though Switzerland is not yet associated, preparations for the launch of the programme are ongoing. We can already tell you that with the new programme many things will become easier. Time sheets, for example, will no longer be required. While the European Research Council (ERC) and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grants will continue to fund basic and ground-breaking research, the second pillar of the programme will focus on global challenges, with a particular emphasis on the Sustainable Development Goals. In this spirit, we have selected a project that we would like to introduce to you in this newsletter: In a randomized controlled trial, Prof. Markus Gerber and an interdisciplinary team will investigate the effects of exercise and sport intervention among refugees living in a Greek refugee camp. This newsletter also informs you about upcoming events and trainings, the process concerning Ambizione and PRIMA applications and – as always, a selection of successful grantees from the last months.

Horizon Europe – State of Play

Many of you are asking how things will continue after the end of Horizon 2020 (and especially about the next ERC deadlines). Unfortunately, Switzerland's association to Horizon Europe is still not secured, but Switzerland has taken a step forward with the Federal Council's adoption of the funding dispatch for Horizon Europe in May 20th. Since no official negotiations with the EU have yet been held, the dispatch contains all three scenarios: Full association, partial association or participation as a third country. The good news, therefore, is that, provided the parliament approves the funding, researchers in Switzerland can count on the funding in all cases.
However, there are also difficulties on the European side. The Corona crisis and the BREXIT have made budget negotiations between the EU member states more complicated. The final budget could not yet be determined and planning is delayed. There is therefore speculation that the launch of Horizon Europe could be delayed.

The Grants Office will of course keep you informed. We would also like to draw your attention to the SERI website, which is constantly being updated. The site also contains FAQ's that will answer many of your questions, including what non- or partial association would mean for different instruments.

Horizon Europe: funding opportunities in Health research

On Thursday 26^th November, we are organizing an information event together with Euresearch to inform researchers from academic and industry about the Health Cluster planned within Horizon Europe. This will cover topics such as;

Health throughout the life course
Non-communicable and rare diseases
Digital solutions/personalized medicine
Infectious diseases/neglected disease as well as environmental and social impacts on health.

Details of the planned Cancer “Mission” from Horizon Europe, as well as possible EU partnerships and information on the European Innovation Council programs “Pathfinder” and “Accelerator” will be presented. Participants of successful EU project and an evaluator of EU projects will share their experience with participants. Further details and registration

Used pet bottles filled with sand become dumbbells..

Due to ongoing political and social conflicts, the number of international refugees has been increasing. Refugees are exposed to severe mental and physical strain, as well as traumatic experiences during their flight. As a consequence, the risk of psychiatric disorders is markedly increased among international refugees with particularities based on gender. In a study co-financed by SNIS (Swiss Network for International Studies), Prof. Gerber, Head of the Sport and Psychosocial Health Division at the Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, and an interdisciplinary team from Basel, Zürich, Bern and Greece are investigating the effects of an exercise and sport intervention on refugees in a Greek refugee camp. The Grants Office spoke to Prof. Gerber about the project, the ethical challenges and how the study could have an impact on other refugee camps.

Proposal writing workshop – ERC Starting and Consolidator applicants

In January, we will host an online workshop for future ERC Starting and Consolidator applicants. “Writing a Successful ERC Grant Proposal” will presented by Mette Skraastad from Yellow Research, who has extensive experience in advising and supporting ERC applicants. The deadlines for the next ERC Grant applications are not confirmed yet and as mentioned above participation of researchers based in Switzerland depends on Swiss association to Horizon Europe. The workshop is open to excellent researchers who fulfill the ERC eligibility criteria and would choose the University of Basel as their host institute. Please contact us via grants@unibas.ch if you wish to attend, we will provide you with further information.

SNSF: Two new Research Council members from Basel

The Executive Committee of the SNSF Foundation Council has elected two new members from the University of Basel for its Research Council:

Prof. Martin Lengwiler from the Department of History in the programmes division for history and political science as of January 1^st 2021
Prof. Carlo Rivolta from the IOB in division III for eukaryotic genetics and genome analysis as of October 1^st 2020

SNSF Ambizione / PRIMA: Deadline November 1^st 2020

The next SNSF Ambizione and PRIMA deadline is on November 1^st 2020 (because of it is a Sunday proposals my be submitted until Monday November 2^nd at 17:00). Please note that the SNSF requires a detailed letter of support from the Department and a confirmation from the Rectorate. Additionally the SNSF introduced two forms that need to by submitted with the application: the Net Academic Age form and the Statement of Mobility. A template for the department letter is available in the Grants Tool (Ambizione / PRIMA, tab "Information"). The Grants Tool will help applicants to calculate their budgets. Applicants who do not yet have an account should contact the Grants Office. To ensure that you receive the confirmation of the Rectorate in time, we need the department letter and the entry in the Grants Tool by 15^th October.

More Successes!

The Grants Office would like to congratulate:

The consortia of Elísio Macamo and Walter Leimgruber for their SNSF Sinergia projects
Maria Hondele and Sebastian Gluth for their ERC Starting Grant
three SNSF Ambizione Grantees:
Boris Belge, Eleonora Seelig and Bettina Winzeler
three SNSF PRIMA Grantees:
Tiffany Bouchery, Murielle Delley and Sandrine Vuilleumier
Six new SNSF SPARK grantees
Daniel Loss and Dominik Zumbühl as participants in Horizon 2020 collaborative project QLSI
The three new Marie Skłodowska-Curie ITN (Internaional Training Networks) projects:
- Evomet with Mohamed Bentires-Alj
- NanED with Jan Pieter Abrahams
- T-OP with Alfred Zippelius
Murielle Delley for her Branco Weiss Fellowship
The winners of two Innosuisse projects: Oliver Faude and Melpmeni Fani
The winners of two Eurostars projects: Cristina Granziera and Alfred Zippelius
Laurent Marot for winning a Fusion4Energy Tender