The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) announced the results of its Quantum Transitional Call in early 2023, selecting 16 projects for funding with a total of CHF 24 million (~USD 26 million). According to the SNSF Quantum Transitional Call page, 22 proposals were received in response to the call, which was launched in 2022.
The federal government mandated the SNSF to establish the call due to Switzerland’s status as a non-associated third country in Horizon Europe. Swiss researchers had been excluded from quantum-related topics in the Horizon Europe work program, including the EU Quantum Flagship’s second phase. The transitional call was one of five SNSF measures to support Swiss researchers affected by the exclusion.
Funded projects involved more than 30 main and co-applicants and covered quantum software, quantum computing platforms, quantum sensing, and quantum materials. Six of the 16 projects included members of the ETH Zurich Quantum Center, spanning quantum simulation, sensing, and computing.