The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is calling on the country’s government to scale back the spending cuts envisaged in its stabilisation programme amid fears for the stability of the education, research and innovation (ERI) sector.

According to the SNSF, the proposed cuts to the sector, which would amount to CHF 555 million (~€505m), are a “sign of short-sighted policy making” and will serve to “weaken the education and research sector in Switzerland and reduce its competitiveness in the global arena”.

They add: “Given that the ERI sector comprises about 10% of the federal budget, this reduction in funds is clearly disproportionate. As a result, funding in the area of education, research and innovation will grow by merely 1.9% on average between 2015 and 2019, whereas federal expenditure will increase by 2.7% on average.

“This is in stark contrast to the commitment expressed by financial policy makers to continue prioritising the ERI domain as a crucial pillar of the economy and society at large.”

The SNSF is therefore calling on the federal government to reduce the cutbacks to a maximum of CHF 200 million. This would ensure that much-needed steps to strengthen the ERI sector need not be sacrificed.

The science foundation has already made the decision not to implement various important measures in its multi-year programme, including a scheme to facilitate the return of established researchers to Switzerland.

“With the stabilisation programme, further sacrifices will become unavoidable and young researchers, among others, will again be affected,” the SNSF warns.

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