Bern (ots) - The Swiss universities and organisations that support the promotion of research and innovation are opposed to the popular initiative "For moderate immigration". The initiative jeopardises some of the basic parameters that favour Switzerland's role as a centre for science and enterprise. Adopting the initiative would halt the free movement of persons and ...
Bern (ots) - New research has been launched to better control COVID-19. 18.6 million francs have been invested in projects that will investigate innovative solutions and develop public health recommendations. Mandated by the Federal Council, the SNSF launched the National Research Programme "COVID-19" (NRP 78) on 30 April 2020 to advance our understanding of the ...
Bern (ots) - Due to widespread concerns about the climate, the environmental parties made significant gains in the 2019 federal elections, especially among young voters. The SP was able to mobilise its party base well, but lost almost a quarter of its former electorate to the Greens. In contrast, the SVP encountered difficulties persuading its supporters to turn out to vote. It does, however, have the most stable voter ...
Bern (ots) - Many scientists are currently undertaking work on the Sars-CoV-2 virus. But hundreds of projects supported by the SNSF are already contributing to finding answers to the current health crisis. In Switzerland and around the world, the novel coronavirus has become a priority for scientific research. Projects supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) are no exception. A special call and a ...
Bern (ots) - NRP 69 recommends that the government develop a Swiss Food Strategy for 2050. This strategy should enable the entire population to eat healthy food sourced from a sustainable production and distribution system. Is it possible to follow a healthy diet that includes more vegetables, fruit and nuts while still reducing the environmental impact that consumption has both in Switzerland and abroad? Funded by the ...
Bern (ots) - Climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation and the current pandemic crisis make it obvious. The need for a more sustainable world has never been as urgent as it is today. But how do we transition to a sustainable economy? The National Research Programme "Sustainable Economy: resource-friendly, future-oriented, innovative" (NRP 73) is creating knowledge that can support Switzerland in addressing this question. It has now published its first report, on the ...
Bern (ots) - Under the special call on coronaviruses, the societal and biomedical aspects of epidemics will be investigated with a total budget of 10 million francs. The projects will start as of 1 June 2020. As the coronavirus pandemic began to take hold, the SNSF took swift action by launching a special call on coronaviruses on 6 March 2020. The call was enthusiastically received in the research community. - ...
Bern (ots) - Seismic monitoring of glaciers is essential to improving our understanding of their development and to predicting risks. SNSF Professor Fabian Walter has come up with a new monitoring tool in the form of optical fibres. The fibres are capable of monitoring entire glaciers. Glaciers are constantly moving and they therefore need monitoring. Satellite images give clues to their development. By listening to ...
Bern (ots) - Researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation analysed how sadistic sexual murderers assaulting child victims commit their crimes and discovered a number of specific patterns. A better understanding of these crimes may help police in their investigations. Sexual homicides involving children are often highly publicised. These events are traumatic for the public, especially while the offender ...
Bern (ots) - Only science can provide us with the insights needed to tackle technical, ecological and societal challenges. 5750 SNSF-funded projects were under way at year-end 2019 - 1000 of them on digitalisation. Philippe Block, Professor of architecture and structure at ETH Zurich, exudes an air of confidence. "The building industry is responsible for more than a third of all carbon emissions. Until now, it has made ...
Bern (ots) - Spectacular photographs, provocative videos and intimate stories shed new light on contemporary research. The jury for this year's SNSF Scientific Image Competition has awarded four first prizes and seven distinctions. The fourth SNSF Scientific Image Competition has been a great success. "These stunning images offer a view of science that is very different from the usual clichés of white coats, antiseptic laboratories and faceless researchers", says Nadine ...
Bern (ots) - In a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, researchers have shown that it is possible to predict the risk of relapsing into depression after stopping antidepressant medication. People who relapse take longer to decide how much effort to invest for a reward. Depressive disorder is a major public health problem with an unpredictable course. It often recurs, with episodes of depression ...
Bern (ots) - Prosthetic hands restore only some of the function lost through amputation. But combining electrical signals from forearm muscles with other sources of information, such as eye tracking, promises better prostheses. A study funded by the SNSF gives specialists access to valuable new data. The hand is a precious limb. Its 34 muscles and 20 joints enable movements of great precision and complexity which are ...
Bern (ots) - The SNSF Foundation Council has elected Jürg Stahl as its new President. The former president of the National Council replaces Felicitas Pauss, who had led the Foundation Council as interim president since April 2018. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) promotes scientific research in Switzerland based on a federal mandate. As its supervisory body, the Foundation Council ensures that the SNSF is on ...
Bern (ots) - More than 300 researchers have generated innovations and knowledge within the framework of the National Research Programmes "Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70) and "Managing Energy Consumption" (NRP 71) for implementing Switzerland's Energy Strategy 2050. The programmes have now ended, and the Swiss National Science Foundation has published a joint summary titled ...
Bern (ots) - What would be the consequences of failed negotiations over an electricity agreement between Switzerland and the EU? Researchers from EPFL and the University of St. Gallen have investigated this question within the scope of the "National Research Programme Energy", shining a light on how it will affect the Swiss electricity sector, overall economic ...
Bern (ots) - Patient safety in intensive care units could be significantly improved if false alarms could be greatly reduced and critical complications such as epileptic seizures could be predicted. This is where the "ICU Cockpit" project of the National Research Programme "Big Data" (NRP 75) comes in: The large amounts of data from intensive care medicine will be used to develop procedures for early warning systems and ...
Bern (ots) - Capturing the beauty of science: the Swiss National Science Foundation is once again holding its photo and short video competition in 2020. Nadine Wietlisbach, director of the Fotomuseum Winterthur, will chair the jury. The images will be exhibited for the first time at the Biel/Bienne Photography Festival in May and will be freely available to the public and the media. The 2020 edition of the SNSF Scientific ...
Bern (ots) - Political scientist Dominik Hangartner (ETH Zurich) analyses the effects of migration policies and proposes improvements. In recognition of his work, the Swiss National Science Foundation has awarded him the National Latsis Prize 2019. "We bring cool-headed analysis to a heated debate. Using data and ...
Bern (ots) - Only one out of a hundred houses per year are renovated to make them more energy efficient - less than half the number needed to achieve the goals of the Energy Strategy 2050 for buildings. The National Research Programme "Energy" shows that the necessary technologies are available, but there is a lack of appropriate planning, building and energy laws, as well as of expertise. Approximately half of the energy ...
Bern (ots) - It is probable that primordial galaxies triggered the period in the history of the universe known as"cosmic reionisation". The Geneva-based astronomer Anne Verhamme has succeeded in demonstrating this by studying green pea galaxies. In recognition of this work, the SNSF will award her this year's Marie Heim-Vögtlin prize on 16 September 2019. Following the Big Bang some 14 billion years ago, the universe ...
Bern (ots) - There is an ongoing debate in society about sex education. Now a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation suggests that the best approach is a combination of parents and school. And that using friends and the internet as main sources of information on sexuality can cause problems. Sex education in school remains a controversial subject. That's why Yara Barrense-Dias, researcher on adolescent ...
Bern (ots) - Chemists funded by the SNSF have created a new compound for flexible drug delivery that specifically targets prostate cancer cells. Incorporating four different molecules, the compound prevents tumour cells from multiplying, can be detected by medical imaging and has staying power in the bloodstream. Usually, a drug is administered indiscriminately and most of it does not reach the diseased tissues. The goal ...
Bern (ots) - Is trade liberalisation shifting environmental burden from industrialised countries to poorer ones? This question was investigated by a research team at ETH Zurich led by Thomas Bernauer. In particular, they analysed whether, and if so how, commerce driven by free trade agreements is transferring environmental impacts from industrialised countries to ...
Bern (ots) - On behalf of social security institutions, psychiatrists assess to what extent people with mental health problems are still able to work. However, the work capability assessments tend to be far too dissimilar. A new training course, conducted within the scope of an SNSF-funded study, has helped to reduce the differences. People who cannot work full-time anymore because of mental health problems are entitled ...
Bern (ots) - An analysis of sediment transport in the Rhône Valley yields surprising results: melting glaciers overcompensated for the effect of the increased number of hydropower plants. A reduction in construction activities due to the 2008 financial crisis could also be seen in the data. This comprehensive study, the first of its kind in Europe, brings important new knowledge, in particular for flood prevention. Water ...
Bern (ots) - The National Research Programmes "Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70) and "Managing Energy Consumption" (NRP 71) have investigated the key factors influencing society's willingness to accept technology and behavioural change and distilled them into specific recommendations. The focal issue "Acceptance" ushers in the concluding phase of NRP 70 and 71. "The Swiss ...
Bern (ots) - Research with open-ended results is of vital importance to our society. The SNSF is launching a campaign to promote basic research featuring various Instagram posts and a series of animated videos on Youtube. The core mission of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is to select and fund the best basic research projects. Its main goal: gaining new insights into humans and their environment - the basis for both technical and social innovation. Ultimately, ...
Bern (ots) - The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) is closing a gap in its research funding portfolio: its new funding scheme Spark focuses on promising or daring ideas that would otherwise fall between the cracks. With Spark, the SNSF aims to widen the existing range of scientific methods, theories and ideas. Grant holders are able to implement original ...
Bern (ots) - A study funded by the SNSF shows that in winter, weak sunlight prevents the Swiss population from producing sufficient levels of vitamin D. Too much sun increases the risk of skin cancer. But moderate exposure is required to produce vitamin D. This substance is essential for bone health and may also play a role in preventing respiratory infections, autoimmune diseases and certain types of cancer. A new study ...