ERC grants reopen to Swiss applicants, as talks begin on associating to Horizon Europe once more

Swiss researchers can once again apply for European Research Council (ERC) grants. The European Commission opened up ERC funding calls to Swiss applicants this week as European and Swiss negotiators sat down to discuss measures that would deepen the EU–Swiss relationship. The talks cover a broad range of measures on trade, energy and related issues, but also include proposals that would see Switzerland rejoin the EU’s research programmes.

Back in 2021, Switzerland lost its status as an associated country in the EU’s flagship research programmes, including Euratom, Digital Europe and Horizon Europe – the world’s largest scientific funding programme, which has a seven-year budget of €95.5 billion (£82 billion). The country’s ejection from these programmes was part of the political fallout that followed a failed trade deal between Switzerland and the EU.