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ETH Zurich has published its annual report 2023 today. It provides an update on the university’s financial situation and describes how the 2025-2028 ERI Dispatch is forcing it to consider drastic measures. Stefan Spiegel, Vice President for Finance and Controlling, and ETH President Joël Mesot explain what this means for the ETH community.

The Executive Board issued the 2024 regulations for the new Master's degree programme in Space Systems and the continuing education programme Master of Advanced Studies ETH in AI and Digital Technology (MAS ETH AID). It also simplified the financial planning of the Central Administrative Units. In addition, new guidelines for engagement at the science-policy interface and for the provision of political advice have been in effect at ETH Zurich since 1 February.

Research thrives on the open exchange of knowledge – and of data that make knowledge possible in the first place. In order to support this exchange of data, the ETH Domain’s Open Research Data Program to open up research data has been in place since the beginning of 2022. Researchers can now once again apply for funding.

Christian Wolfrum has been Vice President for Research at ETH Zurich since the beginning of the year. What are the next challenges for research and how does he propose to tackle them?

Green light for Enhance’s plans: thanks to the promise of funding from the European Union, studying at other European universities is set to become easier.

In contrast to other ETH Zurich employees, it is still unclear for doctoral students whether and when they will receive a cost-of-living adjustment and how this will be financed. The Executive Board is unhappy with this situation. A working group will seek a solution in early 2023.

Switzerland currently has only limited access to Horizon Europe, the world’s largest funding programme for research and innovation. Here’s why this will become problematic for Switzerland as a centre of research and innovation in the long term.

Would you like to contribute to the prevention of an energy shortage in Zurich? Do you have an idea that you want to develop quickly and effectively? Sign up for "Energy Now! - An Impact Accelerator by ETH Zurich"! This ETH initiative aims to enable innovative solutions for more energy security in Zurich before Christmas.

The switch to working from home and online teaching have caused a huge drop in the demand for food at ETH. ETH CFO Robert Perich and Marcel Zurbuchen, who is responsible for partner catering providers, explain the situation with catering facilities and tell us what we can expect at the start of the semester.

Should there be an energy shortage in Switzerland next winter, ETH Zurich will prioritise operations within its teaching and research infrastructure. A group of specialists at ETH has developed an action plan to ensure that core tasks are maintained at the University, even in the event of a crisis.

Experiencing a different academic culture can open up new perspectives on research and on life. This was the experience of three ETH doctoral students who were awarded an ETH Zurich Doc.Mobility Fellowship for a six months stay abroad. ETH doctoral students may apply again by 1 September 2022.

Hateful comments severely affect public debate on the internet. The social science research project “Stop Hate Speech” is investigating how such comments can be detected using algorithms, and which counter strategies can curb them.

ETH Zurich will not complete a major expansion and renovation project of the canteen and multi-purpose building, which includes the Polyterrasse (“Renovation MM”). The MM building and Polyterrasse will remain in their current state and will not be expanded. However, in an initial phase, mandatory technical refurbishments will be completed.

The new ETH AI Center will officially open its doors on 20 October 2020. It has been headed by Executive Director Alexander Ilic since 1 October. What motivated the co-founder of ETH spin-off Dacuda and holder of two Entrepreneur of the Year awards to return to ETH Zurich?

The Botnar Research Centre for Child Health (BRCCH) announces the launch of a fast-track call to address several critical areas related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the Executive Board’s Town Hall forum on February 4, the focus was on the sweeping initiative to refine ETH’s organisational structure. ETH members are invited to help shape rETHink through various forms of participation.

In the third week of January, Prof. Ulrich Weidmann, Vice-President for Human Resources and Infrastructure, and Daniel Bucheli, Director of the Real Estate Management Department, informed ETH members about the structural development of ETH Zurich.

ETH President Joël Mesot announced a restructuring of the Executive Board last June. In the Town Hall forum on 8 October, he provided an update on the status of the "rETHink” project and, together with his fellow board members, answered questions from ETH members.

In the last few weeks, the University Assembly (UA) has expressed its opinion to the Executive Board and the ETH Board on a number of subjects.

Yesterday, ETH Zurich and the team of architects, building planners and construction managers involved in the project attended the ground-breaking ceremony for the HIF renovation and extension project at Campus Hönggerberg. The event marks the beginning of the upgrade and renovation project at one of the largest building complexes on the campus. It will also be the home of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering.

ETH Zurich has been given top marks for its structures and processes in the Transition Review. Other topics in this issue of News from the Executive Board: making better use of the lecture halls; incremental increases in parking fees to reach market levels; and an expansion of Psychological Counselling Service.

In the first series of meetings chaired by the new President, Joël Mesot, ETH Zurich’s Executive Board made provisions for ten new professorships. It also concluded the project to optimise occupancy of the ETH Main Building and created a more permanent structure for the Critical Thinking Initiative.

Since January, ETH Zurich has been managing its financial and personnel matters with a new resources and finance platform. Here is an overview of the changes.

ETH Zurich is the proud recipient of a new research funding instrument called “ETH+ Grants” with which ETH aims to fund major interdisciplinary research projects. In addition to this, ETH Zurich hopes to significantly reduce flight emissions. After making these decisions, the Executive Board of ETH Zurich will now take its leave for the holidays.

Eight new professorships through ETH+, an improved introductory programme for professors, a new laboratory building for architecture and a Forest Lab on Hönggerberg: those were the key decisions taken by the Executive Board at its most recent meetings.

ETH Zurich is launching a comprehensive research initiative in a previously overlooked field of medicine, namely the medium and long-term rehabilitation of patients. The last Executive Board meetings also covered the election of two new ombudspersons, the annual gender monitoring report and the new Financial Regulations.

Good scientific practice, management of ETH’s finances, setting up the new School for Continuing Education, information security, procurement, catering and the salary system for doctoral students: ETH Zurich’s Executive Board passed resolutions on all these topics during its most recent sessions. Another matter that was discussed was the annual report from the Associate Vice President for Sustainability.

An intensive German course enables ETH Zurich doctoral students to communicate in German within just one year. Registration for the course is open from 30 May to 14 July 2016.

On the second anniversary of the vote on the mass immigration initiative, Swiss universities are warning of the consequences of the enforcement initiative and publishing a joint manifesto on the position of Swiss education and research. The repercussions are far-reaching – Switzerland's economy and prosperity are at stake too.

ETH Zurich is launching the Career Seed Grant. Postdoctoral researchers at ETH Zurich have until 1 March 2016 to apply for grant money that will enable them to conduct their own research project.

D University Medicine Zurich is an initiative by ETH Zurich, University of Zurich and the university hospitals in Zurich. A new flagship project was launched at its annual event in late November. The aim of the University Medicine Zurich collaboration is to strengthen academic medicine. This objective is also supported by the new Balgrist Campus.

The close proximity of the University Hospital Zurich, the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich in the Zurich city university district offers a great opportunity for research, teaching and medical care. Further information on the development of university medicine can be found on the Berthold website.

In autumn 2016, the SNSF will introduce changes to project funding: the maximum duration of projects will be raised from three to four years and grants can be used more flexibly. Researchers are encouraged to focus as much as possible on a single research project.

The ETH juniors and the ETH Seniors Club have recently established the ‘ETH juniors jFund’ start-up fund.

With the FP7 post-grant Open Access Pilot, the European Commission has set aside a total of EUR 4 million to fund open-access publications from FP7 projects that have already been completed.

The Federal Council is proposing a global credit of 173.4 million francs to Parliament for the ETH Domain’s 2016 construction programme. There will be no new large-scale projects next year.

At its meeting the ETH Board discussed the grants initiative, the research infrastructure projects of national significance and further refined its succession planning for the EPFL presidency.

ETH Zurich offers a wide range of support services for students and researchers during their studies and work at the university. A new website section provides an overview of the various support options and funding instruments.

The renovation of the kihz Foundation crèche at the Hönggerberg campus created space for an extra infant group in early May. A new activity room has also been added.

The ETH Zurich Foundation’s Annual report 2014 has been published and is available online.

The ETH Board has decided upon the allocation of funding to the institutions for 2016. The Board is concerned that further cutbacks for the ETH Domain are under consideration.