News from the Executive Board 2024/6

ETH invests in Plant Sciences

The Executive Board has approved the site strategy and the associated ‘Research location Eschikon Lindau 2040’ concept of D-USYS and D-BIOL. This will secure the Eschikon Lindau site, where the ETH research station for Plant Sciences is located, for education and research in the field of agroecology and Plant Sciences for the coming decades. In addition to the project-related use by 14 professorships, two to three professorships will also be permanently located at the site. The office, laboratory and greenhouse infrastructure is to be operated using a pooling system. The strategy will be implemented together with the departments from 2025 and supported by ETH's World Food System Centre.

Strengthening GSP in everyday research

At the suggestion of the Commission for Good Scientific Practice (GSP), the Executive Board has approved the establishment of a decentralised Research Integrity Advisory Service (RIAS) based in the departments. This low-threshold information and counselling service is intended to anchor the culture of scientific integrity and discipline-specific good scientific practice even more firmly in everyday research.

In addition to the existing GSP delegates, the function of "Research Integrity Advisor" will be created in each department. Together with the GSP delegates, the Research Integrity Advisor is responsible for implementing the RIAS elements of "information", "counselling" and "training". The two persons together form a team that supports each other and coordinates the GSP tasks and activities within the department.

During the start-up phase of the RIAS until the end of the year, the two confidants, Prof. em. Renate Schubert and Prof. em. Karl-Heinz Altmann, will continue to perform their advisory and mediation functions. From 2025 onwards, mediation in the event of GSP conflicts (e.g. regarding authorship or the use of research data) will be carried out by a pool of Research Integrity Advisors and other persons who have undergone specific continuing education and training.

Replacement and re-election in the GWP Commission

Personnel changes in the Commission for Good Scientific Practice (GSP): Kirsten Bomblies, Professor of Plant Evolutionary Genetics (D-BIOL) and Eleni Chatzi, Professor of Structural Mechanics and Monitoring (D-BAUG) resigned from the Commission at the end of June and the end of July respectively. They will be replaced by Nenad Ban, Professor of Structural Biology (D-BIOL) and Andreas Taras, Professor of Steel and Composite Structures (D-BAUG).
Matthias Gaberdiel, Professor of Theoretical Physics (D-PHYS), was also elected for a second term of office at the last Executive Board meeting.

Equipment inspections strengthen safety culture

The ETH Executive Board has approved the “Concept for Periodic Equipment Inspection (GeP)”. This makes the heads of organisational units responsible for equipment testing and the safety of electrical equipment in their area. Find out more in this Internal news article.

Public events from a single source

Treffpunkt Science City, ETH Tours, Scientifica: these are ETH Zurich's best-known events aimed at the general public. Until now, these events have been organised by different departments, which are still located in different areas of the Executive Board. In order to benefit from synergies, they are now to be combined into a single unit. To this end, a small project group that emerged from rETHink has undertaken a detailed analysis.

ETH President Joël Mesot then decided to integrate the new unit into his staff and merge it with the ‘Community & Outreach’ group. Until now, this group was primarily responsible for ‘ETH Meets You’ events in Switzerland and abroad and ETH Zurich's presence at the WEF. The new group within the President's staff is currently being organised and will start work at the beginning of 2025.

Next Scientifica will take place in 2026

Some time ago, the Executive Board of ETH Zurich, in consultation with the management of the University of Zurich, decided to no longer organise Scientifica every two years. The Zurich science festival organised by the two universities will now be held every three years. The next edition is planned for the weekend of 29/30 August 2026.

‘It's not just about saving direct costs,’ says ETH President Joël Mesot about the decision, which will save around CHF 70,000 a year. ‘Rather, we also want to relieve the burden on the researchers and employees in the central bodies, who put in a considerable amount of work for Scientifica.’

Around 1,000 scientists took part in Scientifica 2023. They brought their research closer to the general public at 70 interactive exhibition stands and over 150 events such as short lectures, panel discussions, lab tours and workshops. The exchange between researchers and visitors is at the centre of the event. With around 25,000 visitors, Scientifica is the largest science festival in Switzerland.

In autumn 2025, a call for proposals for participation in the 2026 edition will be sent out to all researchers from both universities.