Switzerland and EU sign program agreement
Switzerland officially rejoins Horizon Europe – a significant step for Switzerland as a research location and for UZH
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On November 10, 2025, the agreement on Switzerland's association with European research programs was officially signed. This confirms Switzerland's retroactive participation in Horizon Europe, Euratom, and Digital Europe, effective retroactively from 1 January 2025. This news is of great importance for Switzerland as a research location – and particularly for UZH and its researchers.
UZH is delighted with this important step. The association allows Swiss researchers to participate in European research projects as equal partners again, to coordinate project consortia and to receive direct funding from the EU – including the renowned ERC grants and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.
The importance of this association is also reflected in the number of applications: UZH researchers have already participated in numerous calls for proposals that have been accessible under a transitional arrangement. Since January 2025, 163 ERC applications have been submitted with UZH as the host institution. And there are already initial successes to celebrate: two Starting Grants 2025, one Synergy Grant 2025, and one Proof of Concept Grant 2025 have been awarded to UZH researchers.
Read here the UZH news article on the Starting Grants recipients at UZH
Read the UZH News article about Prof. Ohad Medalia's research here
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie calls, which fund the mobility of early-career researchers, are also very important to UZH. A record number of 101 researchers who wish to carry out a project at UZH have applied for the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2025.
It is also particularly gratifying that Swiss researchers can now once again act as project coordinators in collaborative EU research projects – a role they could not take on during the period of non-association. Currently, 67 applications from UZH researchers for collaborative project funding are being evaluated.
Seventeen research teams with UZH participation applied for the EIC Pathfinder Open call for proposals 2025, which supports consortia in the early stages of developing groundbreaking technological innovations – two were successful, both from the Faculty of Medicine:
Prof. Andreas Luft, (Department of Neurology, MeF): Multi AI-Agents to Revolutionise the Management of Neurological Diseases
Prof. Thorsten Zenz, (Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, MeF): OutMARCHing cancer: towards innovative membrane protein degrader modalities for cancer treatment
With a success rate of 12%, UZH is well above the overall call rate (2.3%) – a great success for UZH in the field of innovation!
These positive funding decisions are a strong indication of UZH's scientific excellence and international competitiveness, as well as its relevance in the European Research Area.
Full association not only strengthens the international visibility of Swiss research, but also Switzerland's attractiveness to top researchers from home and abroad. It is a central pillar of innovation and scientific cooperation in Europe – and a strong signal for the future of Switzerland as a research location.