ETH ZURICH - ETH - Finanzen und Controlling

Executive Board
Meeting high expectations
Report by the Vice President Research and Corporate Relations
In 2008, ETH Zurich completed its array of
tools for promoting the next generation
of researchers. Now talented young people
have the opportunity to drive their career
forward as ETH Fellows. Systematic efforts
have also continued to transfer ETH research
into innovative industrial applications.
Despite the competition in global research, it is essential
that all researchers observe the basic principles of any
research: honesty, openness and respect for their fellow researchers.
When thoughts are concentrated on results and
competition, people sometimes lose sight of these fundamental
values. For ETH Zurich, integrity in research is a sine
qua non, just as much as the desire for knowledge and
a sense of commitment. This is why, since last year, ETH has
obliged its researchers to sign a written undertaking to behave
with integrity.
As of the beginning of October 2008, the university has restructured
its organisation. Now the Vice President for Research
and Corporate Relations is in charge of strategic
planning. The most important element in this is the appointment
of professors, because, with each of them, the
Executive Board is making a commitment for about 20
years. Decisions on appointments are and remain ultimately
a matter for the President. Nevertheless, the Executive
Board would like to bring its ideas and those of the departments
even closer together, in a standardised and targeted
process. The new Strategy Committee is intended to serve
the same purpose.
Turning ideas into projects
ETHIIRA; CHIRP 1 and CHIRP 2; ETH Fellow, CTI applications
and grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation: behind
these terms, so puzzling to the uninitiated, lie the
tools that support individual researchers, exciting draft projects
or entire research programmes. At the federal level,
the Swiss National Science Foundation for free fundamental
research and the CTI (Commission for Technology and
Innovation) represent the interface between research and
the world of industry. ETH’s own most well-known sponsorship
tool, the “TH Gesuch” (internal research grant) was
revised in 2008: the “ETH Independent Investigators’ Research
Awards (ETHIIRA)” are mainly given to doctoral students
who are opening up new areas of research.
Researchers who are already one stage further on in their
careers have often found that adequate support was lacking.
With its new Fellowship programme, designed to last
for no more than two years, ETH is now meeting this need.
The programme will mainly help very gifted candidates
who completed their doctorates somewhere other than
ETH Zurich. The first 20 ETH Fellows took up their posts
in 2008.
Entering new territory together
ETH has made a paradigm change in the way it markets the
results of its research. Nowadays, the university develops
the market for new technologies systematically. The new
strategic partnership with the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory
shows what hidden potential there is here. In autumn
Honesty, openness and
respect are the sine qua non
for any research.
2007 initial talks were held about a major new joint laboratory
for nanotechnology in Rüschlikon. Now, as early as the
spring of 2009, the foundations are being laid.
An entirely new model for cooperation is being tried out
here. The building costs of 60 million francs are being
borne by IBM. The cost of the initial technical equipping
amounting to 30 million francs is being shared equally between
the two partners. The building covers a total area
of 8000 square metres, of which over 900 square metres
are allocated to cleanroom facilities. The two partners will
carry out independent research there. There is also a cleanroom
area for joint projects. In addition, ETH is able to use
1200 square metres of laboratory and office space that it is
renting from IBM.
14 ETH Zurich annual report 2008