News from the Executive Board 2021 / 9

Tunnel expansion in the BedrettoLab

The BedrettoLab (BULGG) is Europe’s largest research infrastructure for earthquake physics and geothermal energy. This underground laboratory is located in the Bedretto tunnel, a branch of the Furka railway tunnel. Its first three experimental research projects have been running since autumn 2021 (see News from the BedrettoLab) to investigate the safe and efficient construction and operation of a geothermal reservoir (VALTER) and basic earthquake processes (MISS, FEAR). A first test bed has already been set up for experiments two kilometres deep in the mountain tunnel. It includes ten boreholes, each 250 to 400 metres long, equipped with hundreds of sensors to collect the required data directly in the rock.

To enable the collection of additional data in a geotechnically interesting rock zone, there are plans to expand the testing area in the tunnel so that it extends more than three kilometres into the mountain.

The Executive Board has now approved the extension of the BedrettoLab’s tunnel, with construction costs to be financed by the Werner Siemens Foundation. The BedrettoLab is a research platform operated by the ETH Department of Earth Sciences (D-ERDW) and is led by Domenico Giardini, Professor of Seismology and Geodynamics. In spring 2021, the Executive Board approved start-up funding for the BedrettoLab.

Investment in good clinical practice

Data-driven biomedical research is a key strategic focus for ETH Zurich. Accordingly, ETH is investing in infrastructure for cutting-edge research. In 2021, for example, it launched the digital Trial Intervention Platform (dTIP, see Internal News 11 February 2021), a technology platform for clinical trials that helps researchers and ETH spin-offs generate human data. IT Services developed its own computer system, Leonhard Med (see ITS Blog), which meets the increased data protection and security requirements of medical research.

The handling of medical and personal health data and the security of the IT infrastructure are governed by Good Clinical Practice (GCP) – an international standard that covers legal, ethical and scientific aspects. In 2020, a joint project called “dTIP / Leonhard Med GCP Compliance” was launched with the aim of creating a secure basis for medicine at ETH and having the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (external pageECRINcall_made) certify its GCP compliance, which is necessary for clinical research.

As part of this project, Scientific IT Services (ITS SIS) and the research group led by Jörg Goldhahn, Professor of Translational Medicine (D-HEST) and the professor responsible for dTIP, built an IT environment that will enable digitally supported clinical trials and include GCP-compliant handling of electronic data. This provides the basis for carrying out the tests and studies that will be required for certification.

A third aspect relevant to good clinical practice concerns the research contracts that govern ETH researchers’ collaboration with clinical partners. These contracts have grown ever more numerous in recent years.

With a view to the desired certification, the Executive Board has now approved three additional positions at ITS SIS, dTIP and ETH transfer for a pilot phase of three years. The success of these measures will be evaluated before a decision on a permanent facility is taken.

New CAS/DAS programmes in regenerative materials

The Executive Board has approved the rollout of two new CAS programmes at D-BAUG. As of 1 January 2022, the existing CAS ETH in Regenerative Materials (introduction to basic concepts) will be supplemented by two additional, specialised CAS programmes: CAS ETH in Regenerative Materials – Structural Specialisation, and CAS ETH in Regenerative Materials – Hygrothermal Specialisation. Students attending the foundation CAS (to be renamed CAS ETH in Foundations of Regenerative Materials) as well as one of the specialised CAS programmes can also enter the new DAS in Regenerative Materials continuing education programme and complete it with an original thesis.

New management for the Institute of Science, Technology and Policy

The Institute of Science, Technology and Policy (ISTP) is organised as a trans-departmental scientific unit of ETH Zurich. It aims to increase the political relevance of scientific research at ETH.

Now, the Institute has appointed a new Executive Board retroactively as of 1 November 2021: Tobias Schmidt, Professor of Energy and Technology Policy (D-GESS), is the new Director of the ISTP, replacing Thomas Bernauer, Professor of Political Science (D-GESS), who had led the Institute since its inception. Professor Bernauer continues to be Director of Studies for the Master’s programme in Science, Technology and Policy as well as Associate Vice President for the MAS ETH continuing education programme in Technology and Public Policy.

Also new is David Bresch, Professor of Weather and Climate Risks (D-USYS), in the role of Deputy Director. The Institute’s Executive Board also includes two new members: Rachael Garrett, Professor of Environmental Policy (D-GESS/D-USYS), and Elizabeth Tilley, Professor of Global Health Engineering (D-MAVT).

Bernhard Wehrli, Professor of Aquatic Chemistry (D-USYS), retired from the Institute’s Executive Board as of 1 November. He had been a member since 2018 and Deputy Director of the ISTP since January 2020.

New agreement at the Collegium Helveticum

The Collegium Helveticum is the joint Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) of ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich and Zurich University of the Arts. It aims to provide a meeting place and forum for dialogue between the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences, engineering, medical science and the arts.

Now the agreement between the three sponsoring universities has been revised. Here are some of the most important changes:

• The Board of Trustees – the Collegium Helveticum’s supervisory body – now consists of representatives from the governing bodies (school or university management members) of the sponsoring universities who are responsible for research.
• As of August 2021, a new Fellowship concept with Junior, Senior and Associated fellows has been implemented.
• There is now a global budget instead of one divided between operating funds and fellowship projects.

The Collegium Helveticum feels that this agreement prepares it well for the future. In particular, the new fellowship concept is intended to make a lasting contribution to the promotion of young researchers in an interdisciplinary environment and to international academic exchange.