Actualités sur Organisations

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Monitoring glaciers with optical fibres

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Sadistic sexual murders involving child victims: insights for police

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

SNSF funds 1000 projects on digitalisation

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Imaging science

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Decision time predicts the risk of depression relapse

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Eye-tracking data improves prosthetic hands

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Jürg Stahl is the new President of the SNSF Foundation Council

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 ...

THE HUS.institute Est. - Transformation Think-Tank

Davos, Vaduz = DAVUZ / Liechtenstein Think-Tank pushes system change: THEHUS.institute competes with the WEF

Vaduz (ots) - On Monday, the think and action tank THEHUS.institute united more than 100 international people in the Alpine Rhine Valley in the second edition of the conference series "DAVUZ". This year's meeting, called "World Systemic Forum", set an example of genuine new and rethinking; in contrast to the Davos ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Transforming the energy system is possible - if we set our minds to it

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Switzerland's influence on European energy policy continues to decline

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Big Data makes intensive care better

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

The 2020 SNSF Scientific Image Competition is underway

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Latsis Prize 2019: Dominik Hangartner's research brings cool-headed analysis to the heated debate on migration

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Building renovation needs to be speeded up

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 ...

Eckes-Granini Group GmbH

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Team Rynkeby collects EUR 10 million in international donations on behalf of severely ill children

Zermatt Summit

OISTE Foundation and Zermatt Summit Foundation Sign the Anti-Illicit Trade Declaration

Greater Zurich Area AG

Greater Zurich Area appoints Honorary Ambassadors for the global promotion of Zurich as a technology and business location

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

"Green peas" provide clues to the early days of the universe

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Sex education: Why school and parents should work together

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Graphene nanoflakes: a new tool for precision medicine

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Trade agreements only partly shift environmental burden onto poorer countries

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Work capability assessments: making them more consistent

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Sediments in Lake Geneva reflect the 2008 financial crisis

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Lack of knowledge and experience are slowing implementation of Energy Strategy 2050

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Benefits of basic research

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, ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

It's the idea that counts: Spark supports original research projects

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Daily doses of vitamin D are unreachable during Swiss winter

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 ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Building-integrated photovoltaics: aesthetic, efficient and widely accepted

Bern (ots) - Within the scope of National Research Programme"Energy Turnaround" (NRP 70), researchers studied photovoltaic systems integrated into the roofs and façades (BIPV) of existing buildings from the point of view of aesthetic, ecological and economic criteria. Their findings: all developers and architects could use this technology for the renovation of ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

The SNSF funds 2000 international projects and fellowships abroad

Bern (ots) - Switzerland is among the frontrunners in global science also thanks to its strong outreach in Europe and the world. With its research funding schemes, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) again made a strong contribution to international collaboration in 2018. When Daniel Kienzler returned to Switzerland from his research stay in Boulder, Colorado, he was carrying a rucksack full of ideas. "As a ...

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds / Fonds national suisse

Photography: A fresh look at science

Bern (ots) - The 457 entries submitted to the third SNSF Scientific Image Competition jury are online. They offer a behind-the-scenes look at research through stunning images and intriguing videos. The international jury awarded prizes to 15 entries that will be exhibited at the Biel/Bienne Festival of Photography. Now in its third edition, the SNSF Scientific Image Competition has collected more than 1200 photographs and ...