What is the ERC Starting Grant and what are the typical amounts?

The Starting Grant is a grant from the European Research Council intended for researchers who wish to start their own independent research group. In Giacomo Sala's project, the amount is 2.3 million euros for five years. The ERC Starting Grants cover up to €3.75 million for selected projects in European competition. They are aimed at researchers who have completed their doctorate and have from 2 to 7 years of post-doctoral experience, with the constraint that it is their first independent position.

What is the significance of the new Swiss association to European research programmes from the end of 2025?

Since the end of 2025, Switzerland has been fully associated with the European Union's research funding programmes. This means that Swiss researchers can receive funding directly from European bodies such as the ERC, without the need for intermediation through foreign institutions. The new partnership significantly strengthens the international competitiveness of Swiss research, opens access to previously limited European funds, and facilitates collaboration between Swiss and European researchers.

What are spintronics and quantum geometry, and why is their combination innovative?

Spintronics exploits the spin of electrons to store information, while quantum geometry is a young discipline that studies the geometric properties of quantum space. Combining them is extraordinary because it allows us to understand and control hitherto neglected spintronic phenomena, paving the way for more efficient data storage devices, more powerful spintronic memories (MRAMs), and new technologically advanced materials.

Which PSI infrastructures are used in the Q-GEOMSPIN project?

The project uses three excellent infrastructures of the Paul Scherrer Institut: the Swiss synchrotron light source (SLS), the PICO cleanroom for nanotechnology, and the shoulder neutron source (SINQ). These structures are unique in Europe and allow to characterize materials at the nanometer level, to produce tiny microcomponents, and to conduct measurements at temperatures close to absolute zero.

How do I access ERC funding as a Swiss researcher?

Swiss researchers can apply directly for ERC (Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant) calls through the official website erc.europa.eu. Calls are published annually with specific deadlines. You can apply as a Principal Investigator if you have the required PhD and post-doctoral experience (typically 2-7 years for the Starting Grant). Swiss universities and research centres provide administrative support and advice for applications.

PSI researcher receives 2.2 million for quantum research

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 3 September 2026

Advanced quantum research laboratory with precision scientific equipment at the Paul Scherrer Institute

Physicist Giacomo Sala wins a European funding of 2.3 million euros for the Q-GEOMSPIN project that combines spintronics and quantum geometry. Research that could revolutionise Swiss data storage.

Context

In a nutshell

Giacomo Sala (PSI) receives €2.3 million (~ CHF 2.2 million) from the European Research Council
Q-GEOMSPIN project: spintronics + quantum geometry for 5 years
Since the end of 2025, Switzerland has been fully associated with EU programmes

Key facts

What: Starting ERC Grant for research in quantum spintronics
When: 3 September 2026
Where: Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Villigen, Aargau
Who: Giacomo Sala, experimental physicist
Amount: €2.3 million (approx. CHF 2.2 million)
Duration: 5 years
Team: 2 PhD students + 1 postdoctoral researcher

Giacomo Sala, an experimental physicist at the Neutron and Muon Research Centre of the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen, has won one of the most coveted grants from the European Research Council (ERC): a Starting Grant. The funding, amounting to 2.3 million euros — about CHF 2.2 million — will support his Q-GEOMSPIN project for the next five years. A victory that means a lot for Swiss research, especially in view of Switzerland's new full partnership with European research funding programmes, effective from the end of 2025.

What makes this initiative extraordinary? Sala combines two hitherto separate areas of research: spintronics, a discipline that has been consolidated for three decades, and quantum geometry, a young and still developing field. “As far as I know, so far no one has experimentally connected these two fields,” says Sala.

Operational details

Spintronics: from the laboratory to industrial application

Spintronics exploits the spin — the intrinsic rotation — of electrons to store and process information. The importance of this field was recognized with the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics, awarded precisely for research in this area. However, in recent years, spintronics has presented a gap that is not yet fully understood: some theoretical physics studies suggest that certain spintronic phenomena can be predicted, understood, and controlled thanks to quantum geometry, and specifically thanks to a subfield of the latter: quantum metric.

Sala uses an intriguing analogy to explain the concept. Gravity causes the Earth to orbit the Sun. According to Albert Einstein, however, the correct explanation is not a simple 'attraction' but a curvature of space caused by the mass of the Sun. 'The same applies to electrons when they move through a solid,' explains Sala. Due to quantum metric, the momentum space curves. Electrons 'perceive' this phenomenon and are consequently deflected.

Practical applications and economic impact

Research in the Q-GEOMSPIN project could pave the way for more efficient data storage systems. In the long term, the results could contribute to the development of more powerful spintronic memories (MRAM), computer processors that operate on the model of the brain, and new material properties. It is important to note that, with the exception of giant magnetoresistance, discovered in the 1980s and which soon multiplied the storage density of computer hard drives, commercial applications of spintronics have so far been rare. Sala's project could represent a significant turning point for the Swiss and European technology industry, with employment repercussions in the high-tech sector.

PSI as a European hub for quantum research

The fact that Sala chose the Paul Scherrer Institut for his project is not coincidental. The PSI is one of the most important research centers in Europe, with unique infrastructures and research strategies aligned with national and European priorities. In the new 'Quantum Matter and Materials Center' (QMMC) of the PSI, the work of various research groups converges in the field of quantum matter and materials. Q-GEOMSPIN fits perfectly into this new research hub, strengthening Switzerland's position in international quantum research.

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Key points

Advanced infrastructures and laboratory equipment

PSI provides Sala and his team with all the necessary structures to carry out research. The team will create and measure structures of a few micrometers in size, cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero (–273.15 degrees Celsius). For this purpose, PSI acquires, thanks to ERC funds, a special cryostat: a cooling device capable of generating strong magnetic fields. Inside it, an electric current will be passed through the sample and the deviation of the electrons will be measured. In this way, researchers are looking for non-linear effects, i.e., situations where small variations in voltage or magnetic field lead to large changes in measurement.

The team will have access to three excellent infrastructures: the Swiss Light Source (SLS), the PICO cleanroom (an advanced cleanroom managed by the nanotechnology group), and the Swiss Spallation Neutron Source (SINQ). These structures are unique in Europe and allow the characterization of materials at the nanometric level. The program includes the study of topological materials (solids that are insulators inside but conduct electricity on the surface), oxide compounds, and two-dimensional Van der Waals materials such as graphene.

Career opportunities in Swiss quantum research

With ERC funding, Sala will be able to hire two PhD students and one postdoctoral researcher. Quantum research is one of the most dynamic and growing sectors of the Swiss economy. European funding programs, now fully accessible thanks to association by the end of 2025, offer concrete career opportunities for young researchers, PhD students, and postdocs throughout Switzerland. The sector is not limited to PSI: universities such as ETH Zurich, University of Geneva, University of Bern, and other Swiss universities are heavily investing in quantum research and the training of new talents.

The skills developed in research projects like Q-GEOMSPIN — from data analysis to nanotechnology, from experimental physics to materials engineering — are highly valued in the private sector, from microelectronics companies to industrial research laboratories. A career in Swiss quantum research offers stable employment prospects and internationally competitive salaries.

How to access funding and research opportunities

If you are a student, researcher, or recent graduate interested in a career in Swiss research, the first step is to consult the job opportunities in the research sector and learn about the cost of living in Switzerland and the quality of research in different regions. Universities and research centers regularly publish job postings for PhD, postdoc, and staff scientist positions.

The European Research Council regularly publishes calls for Starting Grants (up to 3.75 million euros), Consolidator Grants, and Advanced Grants. The terms and application procedures can be found on the official ERC website. Thanks to Switzerland's full association by the end of 2025, Swiss researchers can also apply directly, receiving funding without institutional intermediaries.

For those who want to delve into the economic impact of salaries in the research and public sector in Switzerland, compare opportunities in different cantons and regions, and plan their career path, the Swiss salary calculator provides a detailed overview of salaries in the research and public sector.

Source: admin.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ERC Starting Grant and what are the typical amounts?: The Starting Grant is a grant from the European Research Council intended for researchers who wish to start their own independent research group. In Giacomo Sala's project, the amount is 2.3 million euros for five years. The ERC Starting Grants cover up to €3.75 million for selected projects in European competition. They are aimed at researchers who have completed their doctorate and have from 2 to 7 years of post-doctoral experience, with the constraint that it is their first independent position.
What is the significance of the new Swiss association to European research programmes from the end of 2025?: Since the end of 2025, Switzerland has been fully associated with the European Union's research funding programmes. This means that Swiss researchers can receive funding directly from European bodies such as the ERC, without the need for intermediation through foreign institutions. The new partnership significantly strengthens the international competitiveness of Swiss research, opens access to previously limited European funds, and facilitates collaboration between Swiss and European researchers.
What are spintronics and quantum geometry, and why is their combination innovative?: Spintronics exploits the spin of electrons to store information, while quantum geometry is a young discipline that studies the geometric properties of quantum space. Combining them is extraordinary because it allows us to understand and control hitherto neglected spintronic phenomena, paving the way for more efficient data storage devices, more powerful spintronic memories (MRAMs), and new technologically advanced materials.
Which PSI infrastructures are used in the Q-GEOMSPIN project?: The project uses three excellent infrastructures of the Paul Scherrer Institut: the Swiss synchrotron light source (SLS), the PICO cleanroom for nanotechnology, and the shoulder neutron source (SINQ). These structures are unique in Europe and allow to characterize materials at the nanometer level, to produce tiny microcomponents, and to conduct measurements at temperatures close to absolute zero.
How do I access ERC funding as a Swiss researcher?: Swiss researchers can apply directly for ERC (Starting Grant, Consolidator Grant, Advanced Grant) calls through the official website erc.europa.eu. Calls are published annually with specific deadlines. You can apply as a Principal Investigator if you have the required PhD and post-doctoral experience (typically 2-7 years for the Starting Grant). Swiss universities and research centres provide administrative support and advice for applications.