Isabella Beretta (2nd left) with Masao Ito (3rd left) during the HFSP Intergovernmental Conference in Berne
In 1991, just shortly after joining what is now known as the Swiss State Secretariat for Research, Education and Innovation (SERI) as scientific advisor, I felt privileged to be sent on my first international assignment as the Swiss representative at the HFSP Board of Trustees meeting in Strasbourg. HFSP was a newly formed international collaboration to promote frontier research on a global scale.
This assignment was thrilling but in the beginning it was also very tough. It took place in a small meeting room and I was sitting between two smokers! Yes, those were the days when everybody smoked everywhere. But things have thankfully changed and nowadays meetings take place in a smoke free environment. To remain at the frontiers, change is necessary, and HFSPO as a true funder of frontier research in the life sciences constantly questions its goals and tools. Funding instruments are monitored and are subject to evaluation and in this respect HFSPO has never rested on its laurels. Independent reviews supported HFSPO’s decisions to stop certain funding mechanisms for the benefit of new ones more attuned to the fast changing landscape of a global scientific enterprise.
I feel privileged to have had this unique experience as a member of the Board of Trustees overseeing HFSP for so many years, and in particular to have served as Vice-President from 2004 to 2011. Negotiations and discussions with colleagues from the Board and the Secretariat could be intense, always dedicated, sometimes even tenacious, but always focused on the subject and aimed at finding the best way forward for the Organization.
My most intense period as a member of the Board was from 2001 to 2004, when I was leading discussions in preparation for the triennial HFSP Intergovernmental Conference in Berne, Switzerland, in June 2004. Hosting a multi-stakeholder meeting is always demanding but I was fortunate to have two eminent scientists at my side: Masao Ito of RIKEN Brain Institute, who was President of HFSPO at the time and Torsten Wiesel, the highly acclaimed Nobel Laureate and HFSP’s Secretary General. Their assistance was truly instrumental in bringing all partners together in their support of HFSP.
The beginnings of HFSP were very important. It was a period of intense negotiation when member states agreed on their financial contributions to the Organization. Right from the start Switzerland was a stalwart of HFSP and contributed generously, in spite of being a small country its outstanding scientific community backed HFSP’s mission. In fact Swiss scientists were involved in defining the funding programs of HFSP during a series of so-called “wise men” conferences that led to Japan’s decision to propose HFSP and launch its funding programs in two priority areas: neuroscience and molecular biology.
Over three decades there was much discussion to maintain the Program’s high quality support of scientific collaboration across country borders. I believe that it was the introduction of the annual HFSP Awardees Meeting and later the implementation of an alumni network that helped to establish a strong connection with HFSP and this is reflected in the high-spirited atmosphere when HFSP awardees meet and the excellent relations the Secretariat staff have built up with the global scientific community.
The life sciences is a highly dynamic research field which has changed in the past 30 years. However, the Board has risen to the occasion in modernising the Organization’s statutes to enable HFSP to continue its work on a sound legal basis.
Now, after so many years I concluded my professional life with the HFSP Board meeting in Tokyo in July 2019. It’s no surprise that budgetary questions continue to take center stage in the negotiations, but HFSPO can be proud of what it has achieved. Its reputation as one of the most prestigious agencies supporting scientific research has firmly established its place in the funding landscape. The circle from human frontiers to human friendship is complete for me and I will continue to cherish the many contacts made over my years serving on the HFSP Board of Trustees.