The International Foundation High Altitude Research Stations Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat (HFSJG, as per the German abbreviation of the name) dates back to 1930. It is a foundation according to article 80ff. of the Swiss civil law and is under the auspices of the Swiss federal government.
The members of the Foundation are:
| Country | Represented by |
|---|---|
| Belgium | Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique, Bruxelles |
| Germany | Max-Planck Gesellschaft, München |
| United Kingdom | The Royal Society, London |
| Austria | Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien |
| Switzerland | Schweizerische Akademie der Naturwissenschaften, Bern Jungfraubahn AG, Interlaken Gornergrat Bahn AG, Brig Burgergemeinde Zermatt, Zermatt University of Bern, Bern |
The Swiss Academy of Sciences (scnat) is a member for historical reasons and looks after the interests of Swiss research within the Foundation. This task is mainly delegated to the SAS Jungfraujoch commission. The Foundation is funded by member countries' and institutions’ annual fees, subleasing the observatories at Gornergrat, income from researchers, and voluntary contributions. Although the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) has financed the substantial Swiss contribution for the operation and maintenance of the research stations since 1965, it is itself not a member of the Foundation, due to the fact that Swiss law prohibits a foundation being a member of another foundation.
The purpose of the Foundation HFSJG is to provide the infrastructure and support for scientific research of international significance that must be carried out at an altitude of 3000-3500 meters above sea level or for which a high alpine climate is necessary. At Jungfraujoch the Foundation runs the research station and the Sphinx laboratory, at Gornergrat two astronomical observatories and a container laboratory. The Foundation provides the necessary infrastructure for scientific work for researchers from all over the world. No research is carried out by the Foundation itself.
Organisation Chart