History and mission
The Foundation for Scientific Research at the University of Zurich (UZH) awards grants for research and teaching projects. It sees itself as an organizational response to the economic involvement of private investors. 110 years ago, as today, the need for financial resources for research and teaching at the University of Zurich was growing. Scientific research was not seen as the sole responsibility of the state, and the costs should not be borne by the public sector alone. The call for private investors to get involved was met with a positive response. Awareness of the importance of scientific knowledge for the lives of individuals and society as a whole was heightened.
The first stone for the foundation was laid by August Egger, who was the president of the University of Zurich at the time. He pushed the idea (demand) of letting private people contribute financially to research through a foundation for scientific research. He was a big part of getting the fund going, which started with almost half a million francs from private sources. The notarized deed was signed on March 13, 1915 (Ref.: Annual Report UZH 1914-1915).
During the World War, science suffered a severe setback, and with it the work of the foundation. However, when the war ended, it was subsequently inundated with applications. With the end of the Second World War in 1946, a particularly large number of applications were received. The result was a significant discrepancy between the volume of applications and the number of projects actually funded.
A call for donations in 1948 raised over 100,000 Swiss francs and put the foundation back on track. The 1995/1996 appeal for donations again raised over 100,000 Swiss francs. The annual donations of 10,000 to 40,000 Swiss francs should also be gratefully acknowledged (list of donors). Within the first 20 years, the foundation funded scientific projects with a total of half a million Swiss francs.
In 1991, Prof. Dr. Verena Meyer became the first woman to take over the presidency.
To mark its 100th anniversary in 2015, the foundation published a brochure highlighting key milestones and the foundation’s diverse impact. The anniversary brochure can be ordered from the foundation or downloaded in electronic form here:
In 2023, the SWF was integrated into the umbrella fund of the UZH Foundation.
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