Finance

The Financial Regulations (FR) govern the financial processes, responsibilities and competencies at ETH Zurich regardless of the source of funds.

All funds accruing to ETH Zurich (incl. assets) are transferred to the ownership of ETH Zurich. The funds form the basis for budget allocation.

With regard to financial business conduct, ETH Zurich is guided in particular by the following basic principles (excerpt Art. 3 FR):

• Regularity and legality
• Economic, impact-oriented and sustainable handling of the entrusted funds and budgets
• Personal responsibility
• Tasks, expertise and responsibilities for financial matters are classified and clearly defined across the organisation according to the function to be performed.
• Transparency and cost transparency 
• Financial risks are not assumed
• Responsible and integrative handling of the funds entrusted

The budget officer assumes the financial duties and responsibilities for a particular area of responsibility and has the appropriate signing authority. Budget officers include professors, heads of departments, heads of staff units, heads of non-departmental teaching and research institutions. An area of responsibility corresponds to an organisational unit (to which a cost centre is also assigned). The budget officers manage costs and revenues, decide on appointments and conclude contracts with third parties. They are accountable for the budgets in their area of responsibility and ensure that all business transactions are correctly invoiced. 

To ensure the smooth handling of financial activities, the budget officer can appoint a deputy (in addition to any budget managers or budget assistants). The deputy has the same rights as the budget officer, but cannot delegate. Deputisation is the most comprehensive form of delegation of financial competencies and can only be given to staff with the appropriate job function. 

The signing authority of the budget officer is based on the thresholds for financial commitments set out in the Financial Regulations (e.g. contracts, orders and cost approvals). These thresholds must also be respected for internal funding allocations and transactions:

Up to CHF 50,000:
The budget officer is authorised to sign individually in their area of responsibility.

CHF 50,000 to 250,000 – in the academic unit:
The budget officer for the transaction must sign jointly with a second budget officer from the department.

CHF 50,000 to 250,000 – in the administrative department:
The budget officer responsible for the transaction signs jointly with the department head. If the budget officer is the same person as the department head, the second signature is provided by the deputy department head.

CHF 250,000 to 500,000 – in the academic unit:
The budget officer responsible for the transaction must sign jointly with the department head. If the department head is the budget officer, they must sign jointly with the deputy department head.

CHF 250,000 to 500,000 – in the administrative department:
The budget officer must sign jointly with a divisional representative.

Transactions in excess of CHF 500,000:
These must be approved in advance by the Executive Board.

Further details can be found in Chapter 3 and Annex 1 of the Financial Regulations. The responsibilities set out in Art. 51 of the Financial Regulations apply to the acceptance of donations.

Tasks, competencies and responsibilities in the area of Finance and Controlling are defined in the Financial Regulations.

• Refer regularly to the Finance and Controlling website and the Financial Regulations.
• You may delegate administrative management and day-to-day control. However, as budget officer, you will remain fully responsible for the proper use of funds.
• Use ETHIS to view and access information, digitised invoices and contracts, and to follow the electronic processing of transactions (workflow).
• The Accounting department supports researchers in the financial reporting for EU, SNSF and Innosuisse projects.

You will find the client advisor of the Accounting department responsible for your area here (page available only in German).