Division of Fundamental Research
The Division of Fundamental Research of the Swiss Chemical Society is a platform for all chemists involved in fundamental and applied research in the chemical sciences. The division has around 1300 members and hosts the Photochemistry Section, the Swiss Catalysis Section, the Association of Computational Chemists (SACC) and the youngSCS as sub-units.
The aims of the DFR are
- to offer a network for all researchers in the chemical sciences in Switzerland.
- to promote research in all fields of chemistry, and in particular interdisciplinary collaborations.
- to facilitate the organization of conferences, seminars and courses.
- to stimulate contacts between the different chemistry departments and research units of the Swiss academic institutions and industry.
- to encourage the publication of research results in the journals supported by the society.
- to support the organization of international chemistry conferences in Switzerland.
Main activities
- Organize the SCS Fall Meeting, one of the largest annual scientific conferences in Switzerland with about 1000 participants and up to 600 scientific presentations (lectures, short talks, posters)
- Coordinate the organization of the SCS Spring Meeting and define topics, chairs and locations for each event.
- Invite world-class distinguished scientists to Swiss research institutions for the SCS Lectureship Tours and organize the Heilbronner-Hückel Lectureship in collaboration with the GDCh.
- Represent Switzerland in the EuChemS divisions of Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Organometallic Chemistry and Radio Chemistry.
- Publish the CHIMIA column ‘Swiss Science Concentrates.
- Support the Editor in Chief of CHIMIA do publish issue on DFR related topics.
- Honor excellence in chemical sciences with the Paracelsus Prize and the Werner Prize.
- Support the organization of international chemistry conferences in Switzerland.