Funding and Scientific Equipment

MISSIONS

The Office for Funding and Acquisition of Scientific Equipment (OFASE) implements the policy and objectives of the "Vice-présidence pour les affaires académiques" (VPAA) by taking action for :

1. installation of new professors and tenure track assistant professors. The VPAA and the School concerned, after negotiation, make a joint commitment concerning their conditions of installation. On this basis, the VPAA sets up a 'start-up fund' as a preliminary aid, which is limited and subsidiary in relation to the School's own obligations.
2. acquisition or renewal of scientific equipment, particularly to reinforce and maintain instrumental or technological platforms.
3. supporting EPFL in its mission to undertake research at the highest level.

RESPONSABILITIES

1. elaboration of a yearly short and long term planification, based on the policy determined by the 'Vice-president pour les affaires académiques',
2. management and preparation of the credit allocations necessary for the investments in scientific equipments so as to maintain the high level of competitiveness of the EPFL,
3. credits allocations for installation of new professors and tenure track assistant professors,
4. narow collaboration with the Grants Office for mixed EPFL / external fundings and for impact studies each time of a large scientifc equipment is resquested,
5.  for all funding sources, help to the labs in matter of procurement : 
   1. public calls for bids
   2. follow-up, advices and help in elaboration of order, payment and inventory for scientific equipment.

On top of that the office is responsible to maintain the grants.epfl.ch database which contains all information relative to external and internal fundings obtained by all EPFL researchers.

The Grants Office provides the information and administrative support during the pre-award and post-award stages and is also responsible for disseminating EPFL institutional information and research policies to the Faculties.