Facts and figures

In 2019, the federal financial contribution to PSI for research, teaching and the operation of large research facilities amounted to CHF 299.7 million.  

The total revenues of PSI for research and teaching are composed as follows (in CHF million):

* without federal contribution to accommodation

For more financial information, please refer to our Annual Report.

PSI had roughly 2100 employees at the end of 2019. One quarter of this figure was accounted for by postdoctoral students, doctoral students and undergraduates. A total of 39% of the positions are held by scientists. 48% of the positions were occupied by technicians and engineers. With their varied competencies, they ensure that the Institute’s existing scientific facilities always work reliably and that new ones are built according to plan. They thus make a major contribution to the Institute’s scientific achievements. 8% of the positions were held by administrative staff. 26% of the employees are women, while 51% are non-Swiss citizens.

In 2019, more than 320 postgraduate students were working on their doctoral research projects at PSI. More than 220 were employed on a regular basis by PSI. Most of these young researchers had previously undertaken undergraduate studies in physics, chemistry or engineering, mainly at ETH in Zurich or EPFL Lausanne, at the Universities of Zurich or Bern, or in other countries. However, PSI's researchers were not just engaged in the further education of students on-site at Villigen. More than 200 PSI scientists hold a lecturing post at a Swiss university or technical university. This involvement at universities is mostly unpaid, thus generating a double benefit for the universities, as they can offer their students access to state-of-the-art research at large facilities not available at any university. At the same time, the universities are also able to provide their teaching at a lower cost.

PSI makes significant contributions as a national user laboratory to researchers from both the universities and industry. About two thirds of the total budget go towards the operation, maintenance and ongoing development of the large research facilities, as well as the supervision and support of researchers from Swiss universities. The Institute supports annually about 2500 scientists at its large facilities.

The success of a user facility is reflected in the interest of the scientific community in performing experiments at that facility and in the number of publications generated which are based on experiments carried out at it.

In 2019, around 850 articles based on experiments at PSI's large research facilities are published in scientific journals. More than 5000 visits to PSI per year take place of scientists from around the world who come to perform experiments at one of the facilities. Most users of neutrons, muons or synchrotron light come to PSI from Switzerland or member countries of the European Union. The Swiss scientists are evenly distributed between PSI itself and other centres. Most of the external researchers come from ETH Zurich, but regularly scientists come from EPF Lausanne, the Swiss universities and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Empa.

Some sections of society benefit directly and immediately from out-patient proton therapy at the Institute. In 2019, about 5’500 fractions were delivered to cancer patients and the center for proton therapy at PSI registered about 1.800 clinical consultations. A success rate of more than 98% puts PSI at the very forefront internationally in regard to the successful irradiation of melanoma of the eye. In 2019, more than one third of the patients with non-ocular tumours were children and teenagers. Half of whom were infants, who received their treatment under anaesthesia. With a grant from the Cantons of Aargau and Zurich, the proton therapy was further expanded and research intensified. Two irradiation units (Gantry 2 and Gantry 3) for non-ocular tumors and one unit (OPTIS2) for ocular tumors are ready for patient treatment.