Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

http://www.snf.ch

13.12.2021 – 08:00
Shadows can damage solar panels
Bern (ots) - Shadows not only reduce the performance of photovoltaic modules integrated into buildings - they may also shorten their lifespan. "Over the next 30 years, Switzerland will need at least 20 times more solar panels to ensure its future energy supply as envisaged in the Energy Strategy 2050", according to Alessandro Virtuani, a physicist at EPFL. The majority of these panels will have to be installed on buildings, as Switzerland, like some other countries, does not ...
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02.12.2021 – 08:00
Innovative research into new vaccines
Bern (ots) - Projects taking part in the National Research Programme "Covid-19" (NRP 78) of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) are pursuing highly promising approaches in a drive to develop new vaccines. Three research groups have adopted interesting approaches to the highly topical issue of vaccines. The team led by Steve Pascolo is investigating ways of improving functionality and stability of mRNA vaccines, ...
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03.11.2021 – 08:00
Heterosexual norms impact same-sex couples
Bern (ots) - Society stigmatises homosexuals. Individuals who internalise this stigma are more critical of their partners when under stress, according to a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Couples handle stressful episodes better when partners support and listen to each other. Homosexual couples are no exception. But in contrast to other couples, homosexuals also face the enduring stigma of ...
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29.10.2021 – 08:00
The ethical dilemma of forensic therapy
Bern (ots) - Therapy and reporting to the judiciary - psychiatric professionals in prison have a conflict of loyalties. How do they deal with it? The treatment of people for whom a therapeutic measure has been ordered by the court creates a conflict of loyalties for medical professionals. A study(*) supported by the SNSF reveals how they deal with this in practice. Approximately one thousand people in Switzerland are ...
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26.10.2021 – 08:00
Women's session in parliament: SNSF supports motion
Bern (ots) - At the women's session, taking place this week in Bern, research funding will be a topic of debate. A motion proposes to link third-party research funding to gender equality standards. Women are still significantly underrepresented in research: the share of women professors is currently 24 per cent; in research projects funded by the SNSF, women hold a 39 per cent share, spread across different career stages. ...
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14.10.2021 – 14:00
SNSF opposes initiative to ban animal and human experimentation
Bern, 14.10.2021 (ots) - The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) strives consistently and continuously to improve the quality of research. A ban on animal and human experiments would massively restrict the opportunity to gain knowledge and adversely affect Switzerland as a research hub. On 13 February 2022, the Swiss electorate will vote on the initiative to ban animal and human experiments. Acceptance of the ...
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06.10.2021 – 08:00
Detecting microplastics in the environment
Bern (ots) - Geochemist Denise Mitrano has found a way to track how micro- and nanoplastic particles spread through the environment. For this work, she is receiving this year's Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Man-made plastic pollutes the environment. When broken down into micro- and nanoparticles, it poses an increasing problem not only for the oceans and their inhabitants, but also ...
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14.07.2021 – 08:00
Cancerous tumours: how likely are they to metastasise?
Bern (ots) - A very aggressive type of cancer has provided a team of researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation with an answer to the question of which tumour cells are at risk of spreading. Cancer treatment is sometimes complicated by the heterogeneity of the cells that form the tumour mass. The problem is how to identify the few cells that are capable of triggering metastases. Thanks to work carried ...
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13.07.2021 – 08:00
Clinical research: patients and the public have their say
Bern (ots) - The Swiss National Science Foundation has been funding clinical studies on under-researched topics in medicine since 2016. In a first, it successfully involved representatives of patients and the public in evaluating applications. The aim of the SNSF's Investigator Initiated Clinical Trials (IICT) programme is to answer medical questions that are important to society but not a priority for industry. This ...
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18.06.2021 – 08:00
The complex organisation of an ant colony
Bern (ots) - A study on predatory ants, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, explains how small differences between individuals can change the collective organisation of the colony. The colonies of social insects are complex systems that are entirely self-organised. Scientists who looked at the demographic, genetic and morphological structure of ant colonies were able to show how this self-organisation ...
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28.04.2021 – 08:00
Intriguing scientific insights
Bern (ots) - The winners of the 2021 SNSF Scientific Image Competition offer a fresh look at cutting-edge research, from COVID-19 to the study of volcanoes, from churches to alpine geography. The public have also chosen their favourites among the images submitted over the last five years. The works singled out by the jury of the 2021 SNSF Scientific Image Competition show both the variety of top-flight research being conducted in Switzerland and its aesthetic aspects, from ...
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27.04.2021 – 08:00
937 million Swiss francs for 3300 new research projects
Bern (ots) - In 2020, researchers submitted 8200 grant applications to the SNSF. 3300 of them were selected for funding in a competitive process. At short notice, the SNSF funded 73 projects on COVID-19. Thousands of SNSF-funded teams explore nature, technology and society. This generates knowledge that is a key driver of progress. In 2020, the SNSF invested 937 million francs in 3300 new projects, selected from 8200 ...
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22.04.2021 – 08:00
Dormice may have hibernated as early as 34 million years ago
Bern (ots) - In analysing rodent fossils, scientists funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation have come up with a novel hypothesis: hibernation was a survival strategy 34 million years ago. Until very recently, the ability to hibernate was thought to have appeared during the Quaternary ice age 2.6 million years ago. Now, a study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) suggests that the process may ...
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15.04.2021 – 08:00
Novel antibiotic deceives bacteria through mimicry
Bern (ots) - Most antibiotics need to penetrate their target bacteria. But Darobactin, a newly discovered compound, is much too large to do so. Nonetheless, it kills many antibiotic-resistant pathogens - by exploiting a tiny weak spot on their surface. Basel researchers have now revealed the amazing mechanism at play and thereby opened the door to developing completely new medicines. An increasing number of bacterial ...
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08.04.2021 – 08:00
Veal calf fattening: it can work with less antibiotics
Bern (ots) - By adopting a few simple measures, farmers can drastically reduce the use of antibiotics and improve the well-being of their animals without economic disadvantages. This was confirmed in a field trial- the first of its kind in Switzerland - carried out by researchers of the University of Bern based on the specially developed "outdoor veal calf" method. Large amounts of antibiotics are used in the veal ...
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08.03.2021 – 11:00
The Swiss National Science Foundation and Innosuisse to step up cooperation
Bern (ots) - The implementation of research results is of central importance for the economy and society. The SNSF and Innosuisse have signed an agreement to further strengthen the interaction between science and innovation. Through this agreement, the SNSF and Innosuisse are reiterating their shared understanding of the fact that the innovation chain - from basic ...
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01.03.2021 – 08:00
Choose your favourite scientific image!
Bern (ots) - The Swiss National Science Foundation is inviting the public to choose their favourite scientific image or video until 31 March 2021. Microscopic observations, unusual environments, researchers at work... More than 2000 images have been submitted to the SNSF Scientific Image Competition since its launch in 2017. To celebrate the fifth edition, the SNSF is inviting the public to share their vision of science ...
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11.02.2021 – 08:00
How bacteria sleep through antibiotic attacks
Bern (ots) - Bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment even without antibiotic resistance by slowing down their metabolism and going into a type of deep sleep. A research team funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation reveals the changes bacteria undergo to reach this "persister" state. Resistant bacteria evade the effects of antibiotics by becoming less susceptible, for example by breaking the drugs down. But some ...
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05.02.2021 – 08:00
Quotas to promote gender equality in research
Bern (ots) - Gender equality is a prime concern of the Swiss National Science Foundation. To offer additional visibilty to women in academia, it is introducing gender quotas in its evaluation bodies with immediate effect. Political equality between men and women was achieved 50 years ago when women won the right to vote. But the underrepresentation of women in academic leadership roles continues: only 23 per cent of ...
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20.01.2021 – 17:00
How recruiters discriminate on employment websites
Bern (ots) - Researchers funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation conducted a large-scale study of discrimination on an online recruitment platform. The findings showed that, depending on the occupation, both men and women suffer from discrimination, and that discrimination against foreigners depends, among other things, on the time of day. Discrimination in hiring is a major societal problem. A new analysis of ...
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08.01.2021 – 08:00
Goats enjoy mental gymnastics
Bern (ots) - A study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation shows that goats like to earn a reward by 'working' for it, even if they can get the same reward without making any effort. This finding could benefit humane husbandry. Goats respond positively to challenges rather than just turning away. In a project funded jointly by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG), two breeding lines - dairy goats and dwarf goats - ...
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10.11.2020 – 08:00
The 2021 SNSF Scientific Image Competition is underway
Bern (ots) - Share the beauty of your research! The Swiss National Science Foundation invites researchers to submit their photographs, images and videos to the SNSF Scientific Image Competition. This year, in addition to the official jury, the public will be able to choose their favourite works from among those submitted since 2017. The fifth edition of the SNSF Scientific Image Competition is now open. Once again this ...
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05.11.2020 – 08:00
Listening or lip-reading? It's down to brainwaves
Bern (ots) - Researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation have discovered that neural oscillations determine whether the brain chooses eyes or ears to interpret speech. To decipher what a person is telling us, we rely on what we hear as well as on what we see by observing lip movements and facial expressions. Until now, we did not know how the brain chooses between auditory and visual stimuli. But a ...
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21.10.2020 – 08:00
Protecting animals across the globe
Bern (ots) - This year, the Swiss National Science Foundation's Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize has been awarded to researcher Charlotte Blattner, whose dissertation on animal rights shows how animals can be protected across national borders. Every year billions of male chicks are shredded worldwide. The chicks can neither be fattened for slaughter nor used any other way in the animal industry and therefore are considered ...
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27.08.2020 – 10:30
The Limitation Initiative is harmful to education, research and innovation
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 ...
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04.08.2020 – 08:00
28 new coronavirus research projects funded under NRP "COVID-19"
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 ...
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03.07.2020 – 10:30
Influx from the SP helps the Greens to win elections
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 ...
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30.06.2020 – 08:00
Meeting challenges through basic research
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 ...
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25.06.2020 – 15:00
Towards a Swiss Food Strategy for 2050
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 ...
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16.06.2020 – 08:00
Is Switzerland ready for change?
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 ...
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