Newsletter August 2022

Focus

Nice to Meet You – Nadine Liechti Gaxholli

Dear readers, in this series we introduce you to our network and the people in it – what drives them, what is important to them, what makes them laugh. This month we meet Nadine Liechti Gaxholli, our Head of Secretariat at the Network Office. She has been with Euresearch for 17 years, has seen the organisation grow, and has welcomed almost all the current Euresearch team.

What was your career path before Euresearch and what attracted you to your current position?
After graduating from Hotel Management School, I worked for a while in a hotel. Then I completed further education as a business specialist and changed to an import/export company. I stumbled upon Euresearch by chance and the job interested me straight away thanks to the international nature of the organisation, its link to the research landscape, and the diversity of the work environment.

17 years is a long time! How have Euresearch and your role in it evolved?
When I started, there were about 12 people and the Regional Offices were smaller and much fewer in number. Back then, my tasks were purely secretarial. Within 5 years, we had almost doubled in size. During that time, my work became more varied and I gained more responsibility and independence. Change is ongoing within Euresearch and my work will eventually be different again. I am looking forward to it!

What do you enjoy most about your work at Euresearch?
The independence I have in doing my job is definitely something I appreciate a lot. Over the years, I've been able to learn new things, for example regarding the finances, which is now one of my favourite tasks. Also, I find the research and innovation landscape very exciting, and even though my role has nothing to do with it, I am learning something for myself. Finally, family and career are completely compatible at Euresearch, so I don’t have to compromise. I'm very thankful for that.

What do you do in your free time?
My kids and husband are everything to me and I love spending time with them. I enjoy organising family outings as well as baking and just sitting with them and friends over coffee and cake. When we have time, my husband and I drive somewhere with no destination in mind, just to enjoy the landscape.

Facts and Figures
The Secretariat is part of Central Services, the team that supports Euresearch by providing administrative, IT and communication services. The team is responsible for human resources management, technology infrastructure, process management and corporate identity. Euresearch has 1 Network Office in Bern and 16 Regional Offices, with a total of more than 100 personnel throughout Switzerland.

Alexandra Rosakis, Illustration

New Pan-European Partnership on Culture and Creativity

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has announced its Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on Culture and Creativity. The winning consortium, Innovation by Creative Economy, consists of 50 partners from 20 countries including Switzerland. It will bring together key players in the field of education, research and business to address pressing societal issues and provide Europe with well-trained professionals and innovative entrepreneurs.

2022 EIT Awards: 1 Nominee from Switzerland

Nominees for the 2022 European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Awards have been announced: 27 outstanding innovators from 15 countries will pitch under 4 prize categories at the EIT Summit in Brussels on 11 October. Switzerland has 1 nominee, Claudio Reinhard, who will represent PHENOLIVA, a project aiming to form a bridge between the primary sector and the processing industries. The project team was nominated by the EIT Food Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC).

European Research on
Environment and Health

This project catalogue describes a unique collection of 269 projects funded under Horizon 2020. The projects represent a variety of small-, medium- and large-scale actions that address environmental health issues such as chemical and nanosafety risks, air and water quality, and urbanisation. Enjoy the read!

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship Handbook Available!

This document, prepared by MSCA-NET, the EU-funded project of National Contact Points for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), is intended to assist and support in an unofficial and practical way anyone submitting a proposal to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship call with a deadline on 14 September.

CHIST-ERA ORD Call Pre-Announcement

The CHIST-ERA consortium announced a call to support the development of open and re-usable research data (ORD) and software. Projects should focus on reference datasets that aid the availability and reuse of complex datasets, editorialisation of data to reduce the distance between producer and re-user, or processes and tools for software source code.
Anticipated Deadline: 14.12.2022

Swiss Participation in ERC StG Call

The State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation (SERI) recommends that Swiss-based researchers prepare a proposal for the ERC Starting Grant 2023 call. If Switzerland is not eligible at the deadline, the SNSF will offer a replacement call (open Nov, deadline Feb). Read the updated SERI factsheet and Q&A, and attend Euresearch's Applicant Training on 30 August.
Deadline: 25.10.2022

EIC Pathfinder Challenges

This Horizon Europe 2022 call will cover CO2 and nitrogen management, energy storage, continuous healthcare, cardiogenomics, DNA-based digital storage, and quantum technologies. Videos and slides from the Applicants’ Day in July are available online. Swiss-based entities are eligible to participate as Third Country Associated Partners.
Deadline: 19.10.2022

INNOVEIT – EIT Flagship Event

Meet the entrepreneurs and innovators supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and learn how EIT projects solve global challenges with European-made solutions. A series of events will take place between September and October 2022 in several European cities. Don't miss the EIT Summit on 11 October in Brussels! And stay tuned for the announcement of the new Flagship Programme!

The oncNGS call for tenders is open!

The oncNGS consortium is seeking to develop novel affordable solutions to provide the best next-generation sequencing tests for all solid tumour/lymphoma patients. This call is open to companies with experience in molecular DNA/RNA profiling, liquid biopsy, tumour marker analysis kits, or ICT decision-support systems. Swiss-based companies are eligible to apply and receive funding from the EU.
Deadline: 17.10.2022

EOSC Kick-Off Meeting

Participate in building an EOSC community in Switzerland! The programme includes:
- What is EOSC and how is it linked to the Swiss Open Research Data Strategy?
- Community building
- Meet the people who work for different EOSC Task Forces
- Next steps to building the EOSC community in Switzerland
No registration is required. For more information, please contact Katharina Eggenberger
29.09.2022, online

ERC Synergy Grant (SyG) – Info Event

Swiss-based researchers can apply for an ERC SyG, since 1 Third Country PI may be included in each team of 2-4 PIs. Up to €10 million can be requested per project. The next call deadline is 8 November 2022. Attend this lunchtime event to learn about the principles and conditions of the SyG, and what it takes to be a competitive applicant. You will hear from experts coordinating the call and its evaluation at the ERC and from successful applicants.
20.09.2022, online

MSCA Staff Exchange – Info Event

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges promote collaborative research and innovation projects through global and cross-sector staff secondments. Learn more about the specifics of the 2022 call, eligibility criteria, the proposal, and how the action is implemented. We will explain how Swiss-based institutions can participate, with a special focus on the participation of companies.
25.10.2022, online

Basic Training on EU RDI Opportunities