2021 budget
© 2021 EPFL
EPFL’s 2021 budget allocation reflects our School’s continued intention to invest in our core missions of research, education and innovation, while making sure our central services remain reliable and efficient.
In recognition of our excellent performance on a number of indicators, the ETH Board agreed at the end of 2019 to a structural increase in our basic funding, starting in 2020 and gradually reaching CHF 49 million per year by 2024. This level of support, made possible by our successful trajectory, will enable us to continue growing.
EPFL’s budget allocation for 2021 reflects our ongoing focus on investing in our core missions of research, education and innovation, while making sure that central services are adequately staffed and skilled to address future challenges.
For 2021, our upper management approved CHF 770.0 million of spending in line with EPFL’s long-term financial plan adopted in November 2020. This spending will be covered by our 2021 budget (CHF 741.3 million) and central reserves (CHF 28.7 million). In addition, CHF 47.8 million in new spending will be distributed in 2021 in light of the temporary expenditures incurred in 2020 and of variations in certain long-term line items. Of this additional amount, 62% will be allocated to academic investments, 22% to operational support and 16% to address societal issues such as those related to the responsible transformation.
More specifically:
- The additional academic investments comprise strategic initiatives (37%); spending at our various schools, research centers and new data center (19%); and educational initiatives (6%).
- The additional operating investments comprise support for EPFL’s new organization (8%); programs to speedup the digitalization of our operating processes (5%); increases in our energy costs (4%); and other operating costs and additional IT projects (5%).
- The additional investments to address societal issues comprise spending on COVID-19 measures (10%); additional resources for the Vice Presidency for Responsible Transformation (4%); and efforts to implement our Catering & Shops Unit’s sustainability strategy (2%).
If you have a question or would like more information, please send an email to: budget.planification@epfl.ch.