Survey Chemistry Infrastructures in Switzerland 2024

Every four years, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) prepares the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. This provides a basis for decision-making on the investment of federal funds in research facilities of national interest. The Roadmap is integrated into the ERI Dispatch, which the Federal Council then submits to the Parliament for approval (Figure 1).

On a new mandate by SERI, SCNAT is currently updating the seven Thematic Roadmaps in the following disciplines (https://scnat.ch/en/id/BGqdL):

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Geosciences
• Particle physics
• Astronomy
• Photon Science
• Neutron Science

Figure 1. Schematic representation of the process of the Swiss Roadmap for Research Infrastructures with special emphasis on the preparatory phase assigned to SCNAT.

With this survey, we would like to receive feedback on the proposed Update of the Chemistry Roadmap for Research Infrastructures from PIs from all fields of chemistry in Switzerland. Please provide your feedback here: https://chem.scnat.ch/de/id/NS3y3

Contact
SCNAT, Platform Chemistry
House of Academies
PO Box
3001 Bern

https://chem.scnat.ch/ 

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David Spichiger, SCS / Sandra Hofmann, SCNAT
07.08.2024

Helvetica Prize of the Swiss Chemical Society 2024

On the occasion of the SCS Fall Meeting 2024, Helvetica, represented by its editors in chief, Prof. Eva Hevia and Prof. Jérôme Waser, as well als Helvetica Executive Editor Dr. Richard Smith, will award the Helvetica Prize of the Swiss Chemical Society for the best published papers of PhD/Postdocs 2023/24 in Helvetica Chimica Acta. The prize is endowed with CHF 1'000 for the winner and CHF 500 for the runner-up.

Dr. Richard Smith, Executive Editor of Helvetica, will hand over the certificates to the winners on September 5, 2024, at 17.45h in the afternoon plenary session. The winners will present their research in a flash talk of 3min each.

1^st Price 2024: Timur Ashirov, University of Fribourg, Group of Prof. Ali Coskun
‘Eutectic Molten Salt Synthesis of Highly Microporous Macrocyclic Porous Organic Polymers for CO₂ Capture’

2^nd Price 2024: Joël F. Keller, University of Basel, Group of Prof. Marcel Mayor
‘Selective Recognition of Aromatic Amino Acids by a Molecular Cleft in Water’

We congratulate the winners and are looking forward to the ceremony on September 5.

We hope this motivates many of our members to hand in their next manuscript to Helvetica, a journal of the SCS.

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The SCS Helvetica Prize

Since 2019, Helvetica Chimica Acta awards the 'Helvetica Prize' on the occasion of the Fall Meeting of the Swiss Chemical Society to honor outstanding publications of young researchers in Switzerland. The prize is addressed to the best published papers of PhD/Postdocs in Helvetica. The award winners present their work in a short talk at the Fall Meeting. The prize is endowed with CHF 1'000 for the winner and CHF 500 for the runner up.

Past Winners of the Prize
Winners of the prize 2023
Winners of the prize 2022
Winners of the prize 2021
Winners of the prize 2020
Winners of the prize 2019

 

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David Spichiger, SCS
06.08.2024

EuChemS Magazine, July 2024

EuChemS News, Policy News, Events, Awards
 
We're delighted to bring you the second 2024 issue of EuChemS Magazine Plus! Take a look at our headline stories or read the magazine by clicking on the button below! 
Read the complete EuChemS Magazine Plus

Editorial

Ioannis Katsoyiannis: EuChemS in the forefront of initiatives for achieving the Zero pollution vision

News

• EuChemS Awards presented at ECC9
• ECC9 concludes

Research

• The Legacy of Karl Ziegler and Gulio Natta: a Historical Landmark connecting 
• Science and Collaboration at the ACS Spring 2024
• The birth of the “Epistemology and History of Chemistry” Group

Perspectives

• What’s new from EYCN?
• Eighty years of excellence in Chemistry and Community Service: School of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
• Welcome to EuChemS
• Chemistry Talks
• President's Column: EuChemS Employment Survey for European Chemists

Policy News

• European Elections – what changed, what remains, and what does it mean for science-policy

Agenda and Events

Read the full magazine on: https://www.magazine.euchems.eu/

 

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David Spichiger, SCS
18.07.2024

Minutes of the 34th General Assembly of the SCS

June 7, 2024, 13:00-13:30, University of Basel, Biozentrum. The minutes are published in CHIMIA 7-8/2024 and on the website.

1. Welcome; Approval of the Agenda

During the lunch break of the SCS Spring Meeting, Christian Bochet, President, and David Spichiger, Executive Director, opened the assembly and welcomed all members/attendees. The agenda was approved.

2. Election of the Vote Counter

At the beginning of the meeting, 34 SCS members were present and by the end of the meeting, 48 participants had attended the meeting. The meeting unanimously confirmed Marie-Désirée Schlemper-Scheidt and Richard Smith as vote counters.

3. Minutes from the 33^rd GA from April 14, 2023

The minutes were published in CHIMIA (2023, 77, No. 5, A357f).
The minutes were approved unanimously and without abstention.

4. Annual Report 2023

The annual report was published in CHIMIA (2024, 78, No. 1-2, A90ff). It was approved unanimously.

5. Financial Report 2023 and Audit Report

David Spichiger presented the financial statement. Operating incomes of CHF 1’854’196 and operating expenses of CHF -1’958’332 result in an operating loss before taxes of CHF -104’136. The portfolio at Bank von Graffenried followed the trend of the financial markets and contributed a surplus of +172’739. Considering taxes, non-periodic income, cost allocation to the funds and the building of 100’000 asset fluctuation buffer an operating loss of CHF -58’133 resulted.
The assets of all SCS funds increased by CHF + 72’971, including the new fund from the dissolved SASP.
As of 31.12.2023 the assets summed up to CHF 4’879’768.

Audit Report:
In the audit report from May 10, 2024, provided by BDO AG, Bern, no inconsistencies are mentioned, and the financial statement fulfills the legal requirements according to the SCS bylaws and the Swiss Civil law.

The assembly approved the financial statement 2023 and the audit report unanimously with no abstention.

6. Discharge the Organs of the Society

The assembly discharged the board members and the financial audit unanimously with five abstentions (board members).

7a. Elections: SCS Executive Board, ExB (and BoD)

The assembly confirmed unanimously the re-election of the following ExB members for the period 2025-2026:

• Christian Bochet, University of Fribourg, as president and member with signing rights in twos
• Yves Auberson, Novartis, as vice-president and member with signing rights in twos.

7b. Elections: SCS Board of Directors, BoD, and Financial Audit

The assembly confirmed the proposal of the respective divisions and elected the following persons into the board as members without signing rights:

• Davide Bleiner, University of Zurich, DAS President
• Fides Benfatti, Syngenta, DMCCB President
• Niklaus Künzle, Lonza, DIAC President
• Maksym Kovalenko, ETH Zurich, DMC President.

All elected persons accepted their election.

The following BoD member stepped down and the entry in the commercial register will be deleted with immediate effect.

• Eric Bakker, University of Geneva.
• Jean-Louis Reymond, University of Bern
• Roger Marti, HEIA Fribourg
• Esther Amstad, EPFL Lausanne

By the end of 2024 the following person will step down:

• Christophe Copéret, ETH Zurich

Christophe Copéret's seat will not be appointed for the time being and will remain vacant from January 1, 2025.

The assembly confirmed BDO AG, Bern unanimously as audit instance for the financials 2024.

8. Membership Fees

The annual membership fees 2025 were approved unanimously:

• Regular member: CHF 150.00
• Student member: CHF 50.00
• Retired member / unemployed members: CHF 80.00
• Institutional member (institutions): CHF 800.00
• SCS Partnership (institutions): CHF 3’000.00

Additional Fees for Divisions

• Industrial & Applied Chemistry: Regular CHF 20.00, Company CHF 100.00
• Photochemistry Section: Regular CHF 40.00, Student CHF 20.00

15% discount on collective memberships for academic research groups.

9. News and Strategic Projects

The Board of Directors decided on the following, strategic initiatives that will be pushed in the coming months:

• Review event portfolio to ensure relevance and quality
• Digitalize CHIMIA journals 1947-1989
• Establish SCS mentoring program
• Collaborate with Apprentas for non-formal education curricula
• Push IRISS and SSbD in Switzerland
• Further develop Ilmac Basel/Lausanne as an international platform for chemistry and life sciences
• Replace SCS membership database 

10.Event Outlook 2024

• In 2024 twenty-five conferences and symposia took place or will take place under the direct organization of SCS. In addition, five SCS Lectureship are planned and a dozen of smaller, local, events will be organized.
• The list of SCS events is available on https://scg.ch/events.

Planned Events 2025

• Swiss Snow Symposium, Jan 16-18, 2025
• EFMC-ISCB 2025, Basel, Jan. 29-31, 2025
• Swiss Industrial Chemistry Symposium, Basel, Jan 31, 2025
• Rigi-Workshop (SCNAT), Rigi-Kulm, Sun-Tue, Feb 2-4, 2025
• DMCCB Basel Symposium, Basel, Feb 6, 2025
• LS² Annual Meeting (LS2/DMCCB), Fribourg, Feb 13-14, 2025
• ANAKON (DAS), Leipzig, March 17-20, 2025
• CHanalysis, Beatenberg, March 19-20, 2025
• Freiburger Symposium, Fribourg, 3-4. April, 2025
• SCS Spring Meeting, Bern, April 2025 (date tbd)
• Bürgenstock Conference, Brunnen, May 4 - 8, 2025
• Ilmac 2025 Pre-Event, Basel, May 15, 2025
• SCS Seminar on IP (PhD focus), Murten, June 4-5, 2025
• Peptide Therapeutics Forum, Basel, June 5-6, 2025
• NPC, Zürich, June 2025
• Summer School on MatChem 2025, Fribourg, June 23-24, 2025
• Swiss MatChem Symposium 2025, Fribourg, June 25, 2025
• EuCOMC 2025, Bern, July 6-10, 2025
• Swiss Summer School on Organic Synthesis, Aug 17-21 or Aug 24-28, 2025
• SCS Fall Meeting, Zurich, September 4, 2025
• ChemEdu, Zurich, September 4, 2025
• Ilmac Conference Basel, Basel, Sep 16-18, 2025
• SWC Networking Event @Ilmac Basel, Sep 17, 2025
• Swiss Chemistry Science Night, Bern, Sep 19, 2025
• Biotrans2025, Basel, application in progress (date tbd)

11. Varia

No requests to speak were requested from the audience. The President thanked for the confidence and closed the meeting.

Basel, June 7, 2024

David Spichiger 
Executive Director

Prof. Christian Bochet        
President

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David Spichiger, SCS
01.06.2024