FAQs

What reports must be handed in end of 2012 and in 2013?

  • For projects continuing in 2013: Q4 2012 report (new form; hand in by email until end of 2012; from Dec. 15 on)
  • For projects finishing (hand in latest one month after project end):
    • Final report & project outcome (includes part for last quarter; send by email and as signed hardcopy)
    • Annual report to funding agencies: one report for 2012 and 2013. Form is sent to project leaders before project end (send back by email and as signed hardcopy)
    • Financial report: send expenditure numbers for 2012 and 2013 separately to your contact person (must be done by all project partners)

What happens after April 2013?

AAA/SWITCH ends April 30 2013. All further activities are led by the CRUS project "Information scientifique: accès, traitement et sauvegarde".
Two joint proposal for AAA/SWITCH sustainability measures habe been submitted by August 31 2012 and been approved by the steering committee of the project "Information Scientifique" mid-November 2012 towards the SUC, ETH Council and BBT. These three bodies will decide on the financing of "Learning Infrastructure" and "Swiss Academic Compute Cloud" in late November / early December.

Will there be an AAA/Info Day in 2013?

We will organize a special event at the end of AAA/SWITCH and send more information to project leaders and contact persons in due time.

How to handle the QUARTERLY reports for a main project and its extension ongoing in the same time?

Submit only one quarterly report for both (main project and extension), but clearly indicate the two project abbreviations and which milestones belong to the main project and which ones to the extension.

How to handle ANNUAL and FINANCIAL reports for a main project and its extension?

The main project and its extension have to be clearly separated in the annual reports and in the financial reports. Financial transfers between main project and its extension are not possible!
Note: For 2012 and 2013 only one annual and financial report must be submitted (by May 31 2013).

When has the final project report to be submitted if a project has an extension or prolongation?

After the end of an extension or prolongation you have 1 month to submit the final report, including information about the main project and the extension/prolongation.
Extensions: Split the financial information of main project and its extension (use two separate tables).

When must unused funds be returned and how?

Unused federal funds will be collected by the contact persons of the different institutions. They will contact the project leaders or partners at their institutions. SWITCH will send request forms for reimbursement to the contact persons in two installments (2012 and at the end of AAA/SWITCH in 2013).

When does AAA/SWITCH end?

The program AAA/SWITCH was prolongated. Projects must end definitively April 30 2013 latest.
Last opportunity to submit new projects or project extensions is the competition 2012:
Deadline is March 31 2012!

How to submit a project extension (with additional funds)?

Projects finished in 2011 or ongoing projects may submit a project extension description.
Last deadline for submission is March 31 2012 (competitive projects/extensions). New competitive projects and extensions can have a duration of 10 months maximum (earliest start in July 2012 and end in April 2013).
For a university project/extension check available funds ASAP with your AAA contact person and SWITCH.

How to prolongate a project (without additional funds)?

If you need more time to finish your project in 2012/2013 you may ask for a prolongation of 4 months maximum in the second last quarterly report (indicate reasons and duration of prolongation).
Without approved prolongation you have to finish your ongoing project in 2012.

Who can submit a project?

If you are member of a Swiss Cantonal University, University of Applied Sciences or of the ETH Domain you may submit a project idea
(except for Universities of Teacher Education, if they are not part of a University of Applied Sciences, and University Hospitals).

When should I come up with my project idea?

As soon as possible.
When you have already concrete scenarios in mind you may describe them directly in the project description form, that you should use also for project submissions.
You may discuss less concrete ideas informal with us and your university contact person.

The AAA/SWITCH program runs from 2008 until April 2013.

Last Deadlines for the competitive bid is March 31 2012.

How to submit a project?

Consult the instructions for submission and the detailed project guidelines.
We strongly recommend to contact aaa@switch.ch and your university contact person(s) at your earliest convenience and first submit a draft of your project idea.

How many university partners should participate in a project?

Your project should have an impact on Swiss university infrastructure. Participating partners show that alignment with the scope of AAA/SWITCH and the wider interest.
But also projects realized at your university may have this kind of impact (pilotes, simple reuse of developed tools, implementation of general services, platform components, accessibility etc.).

What size and lenght should a project have?

The financial and manpower size of a project may very substantially depend on the goals and number of partners.
It may be a small one of just a few person months. The project's lenght should typically not exceed 18 months, with a hard limit of 24 months.
Projects or extensions submitted in the last competition can have a duration of 10 months maximum (earliest start in July 2012 and end April 2013).

How is a project financed?

Each project must obtain matching funds of at least equal size from the institution in order to become qualified for federal funding.
Partner contributions are liable to the same rule.
(see app. C of the project guidelines for the deifnition of matching funds)

What are "university" and "competition" projects?

Projects are classified as "university project" or "competition project" (decided by contact person and SWITCH).
University projects are financed through the money allocated to the correspondent universities.
Competition projects (or parts of it) are financed through competition money. Parts (partners) of such a project may be funded through money allocated to the universities.
University projects normally should not exceed a one year duration.
Competition projects may have a duration of two years maximum.

ETH contributions must pass the competition!

When is a project approved?

After receiving an approval letter with the project number from SWITCH.
The project can start immediately after approval (depending on project timetable).
After submitting the definitive version of a project description, university projects may wait for the decision about one month and competition projects about 4 months (after deadlines).

How do project partners receive the funding, once a project is approved?

Project leader and partners should contact the AAA contact person of their institution to apply for the money (it can be payd out half-yearly or yearly).
Consult the "Guidelines for the financial transfers" for details.

First steps: What steps should be done once my project is approved?

  • Inform your partners about the decision, project start date etc.
  • Acknowledge that your project can fulfill the conditions (if any) imposed
  • You may consider organizing a kickoff meeting and discuss the next steps (with your partners, ev. contact person, SWITCH etc.)
  • Create your project identity.
    A project website and a space for collaboration can be useful.
    You are invited to use tools for web conferencing (as SWITCHpoint) etc. for collaboration and presentations.
  • If desired submit a short description of your project to aaa@switch.ch for www.switch.ch/aaa/projects
    (otherwise the short description from the project description will be used).

What responsibilities do I have as a project leader during the project?

What documents do I have to submit before, during and after a project?

document/title location when by whom to  by
Project description Download earliest possible,
for competition latest 2 weeks
before competition deadline		 project leader SWITCH and
contact person		 email AND
regular mail
(signed by project leader)
Quarterly project reports Download at the end of each quarter (unprompted) project leader SWITCH and
contact person		 email
Annual reporting:
project report		 form will be sent to
project leaders in December		 end of January project leader SWITCH and
contact person		 email (.doc format) AND
regular mail (signed by project leader)
Annual reporting:
financial report		 form will be sent to
contact persons in December		 end of January contact person (collects financial data of projects) SWITCH email (.xls format) AND
regular mail (signed by contact person)
Final report (closing report including last quarterly report) & project outcome Download 1 month after end of the project project leader SWITCH email AND
regular mail (signed by project leader)
project related documents
(additional information and documents about your projects are welcome, as meeting protocols, work papers etc.)		   consecutively or during reporting project leader, partners and members SWITCH email

What feedback should I receive from SWITCH?

about what when to  by
Project approval / rejection approval / rejection usually 2-3 weeks after submission of a final version; for competition answer within ∼ 3 months (after formal decree by SER, ETH Board or OPET) project leader (copy to contact person) email and regular mail
Quarterly project reports comments, critical acclaim depending on declared status contact person email
Annual reporting:
project report		 ev. questions and comments;
reporting will be sent to university bodies and financing authorities		 in January/February project leader email (.doc format) AND
regular mail (signed by project leader)
Annual reporting:
financial report		 ev. questions;
reporting will be sent to university bodies and financing authorities		 in January/February contact person email
Final report (closing report including last quarterly report) & project outcome ev. questions and comments after submission project leader, ev. project partners and contact person email AND
regular mail
Project visits ev. questions and comments if possible at least once per year project leader and/or partners direct

What responsibilities do I have as a project partner during the project?

  • Beside your duties towards your project you must send at the end of the year financial statements to the contact person of your institution (for the annual reporting).
  • At the end of the project you must submit financial statements to the project leader (for the final report) and to the contact person of your institution.

Can a project change its objectives, milestones or deliverables?

Usually you have to follow the project plan and to fulfill the deliverables described into the approved project description. Minor variations during the project should be mentioned and justified in your regular reports.
If you see severe problems upcoming by following the submitted project plan you should discuss possible ways with us. In exceptional situations you may submit a modification application.

Last steps: What is to do at the end of a project?

  • Collect information about and resources of your project.
  • Send the final reporting & project outcome forms to aaa@switch.ch (within one month after the completion of the project). You will receive the annual report form for funding agencies that must be filled in and signed too and sent back by email and regular mail.
  • Prepare the financial statements (must be sent to your university contact person at the end of year).
  • You may consider organizing presentations of your results.