ProgrammeProgramme
As a consultative body to the Federal Council, the Swiss Science and Technology Council (SWTR) deals with policies relating to Swiss higher education, research and technology. All of these policies have a bearing on Switzerland’s position as a scientific location.
The SWTR’s work programme was drafted in consultation with the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA). It presents the SWTR’s priority tasks and activities, which are intended to further the science policy agenda and meet the needs of the Federal Administration. The SWTR is able to adapt its work schedule to accommodate Federal Council requests, which may come at any time.
For the purposes of establishing a sustainable science policy on the basis of long-term strategic objectives, the SWTR has included the following priority themes in its work programme:
Policies relating to higher education
- New legal basis for Swiss universities (HFKG)
- Developing the skills of young researchers
- University ranking lists
- Future of medical studies at Swiss universities
Policies relating to research
- Partial or complete revision of the Federal Research Act (SR 420.1)
- Ordinance of the partial revision of the Federal Research Act
- Grant funding for research at Swiss universities of applied sciences
- Research evaluations
- Policy research
- Foreign science policy
Policies relating to technology
- Innovation policy
- Restructuring of CTI
Other themes may also be addressed in internal SWTR discussions.
Acting on the basis of its legal mandate, the SWTR may conduct assessments at the request of various Swiss universities or research institutions. The SWTR is also responsible for reviewing the multi-year plans of all institutions that receive grant funding under Art. 16 of the Federal Research Act (SR 420.1).
In order to handle these thematic areas in a coherent fashion, the main participants involved in determining national science policy need to be able to interact with one another within the framework of an organisational network. SWTR therefore maintains regular contact with research grant recipients or institutions (e.g. universities, the Swiss National Science Foundation, Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences) as well as with other resource persons within the Federal Administration.
Programm 2010 - 2011
April 2010
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