The scientific communication funding scheme Agora was introduced in 2011. On the occasion of its fifth anniversary, the current president of the Agora commission presents in a video the scheme and three representative projects.
The Agora scheme aims to promote the spread of knowledge, as well as the exchange of views and perspectives about scientific research. It therefore encourages projects involving two-way processes - with interaction and listening - which generate dialogues between researchers and the public.
The call for proposals is issued each year. Grants of between CHF 5,000 and CHF 200,000 are awarded for both small communication formats and large-scale initiatives with more far-reaching goals. Diverse activities are supported, for example: discussions and debates, hands-on workshops, multimedia projects, serious games, theatre and performances, interactive exhibitions, education projects with schools, etc.
Participation requirements
- Projects are usually carried out by mixed teams comprising researchers and for example experts in education or communication, scenographers, science explainers, artists, etc.
- The application is submitted and led by the researchers. All researchers working in Switzerland are eligible, as well as holders of an SNSF fellowship during a stay abroad and researchers working in specific Swiss institutions abroad. Applicants must be able to show that they are employed in research for the duration of the planned project.
- The project is linked to the applicants' current research. They must be able to show that their research received competitive funding (SNSF or else) or was the object of a peer-reviewed publication.
How To
Main deadlines
The call for proposals is issued each year; applications can be submitted until 1st September. Funding decisions are communicated around mid-February of the following year, and projects can start on 1st March at the earliest.
Submission of proposals and evaluation procedure
Applications are submitted via the mySNF platform. Please refer to the guidelines for applicants before completing an application, as well as for information about the evaluation procedure.
Projects
Highlights
A summary of all ongoing and past funded projects is available on the database P3. The “News” section below provides the latest information about funded projects.
Documents
Supplementary measures
FAQ
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News
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27.01.2017
Following the sixth call for proposals for its Agora funding scheme, the SNSF has approved 20 new projects submitted by researchers aiming to share their research with the public.
Agora: 20 new projects: Details
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03.01.2017
Researchers supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation have succeeded in using X-rays to minutely observe a photosynthesis reaction and produce a movie of the event. The findings will aid understanding of similar processes in the human eye. Thanks to the new SwissFEL particle accelerator at the Paul Scherrer Institute, we can expect more discoveries of this kind.
Photosynthesis on film for the first time: Details
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17.05.2016
On the occasion of its fifth anniversary, the president of the Agora commission presents in a video the scheme and three representative projects.
Video on fifth anniversary of Agora: Details
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14.04.2016
An SNSF funded partnership between a research institute, an association and a university of teacher education involving children, researchers and robots.
Robotics at school: Details
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09.10.2015
In summer 2015, the SNSF received 50 proposals for its Agora funding scheme. Agora promotes exchanges between researchers and the public.
Agora: SNSF receives 50 proposals: Details
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18.09.2015
Thanks to the orthoptera app, experts and lay people can recognise grasshoppers and crickets without carrying heavy identification keys around. The development of the app was supported by the SNSF's Agora scheme.
Identify grasshoppers and crickets: Details
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03.09.2015
When you combine scientific information with theatrical improvisations, a guided tour turns into a unique experience. A project funded by the SNSF's Agora scheme is touring the German-speaking part of Switzerland.
Nature walks in the city: Details
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10.08.2015
Artist Christina Della Giustina took environmental data of trees in Valais as the basis for a musical composition which was realised with primary school children and can be heard at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The concert is part of the SNSF Agora project "State of the Art - Science and Art in Practice".
Scientists, children and artists make trees audible at the Montreux Jazz Festival : Details
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04.05.2015
The "Festival of Antique Rhetoric" is part of a project in which scholars introduce teenagers to the art of antique declamation. The project is funded by the SNSF's Agora scheme.
Pupils declaim like ancient Romans: Details
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27.04.2015
In the play "Blue Butterfly", scientists turn actor to overturn clichés about themselves and their colleagues. The play is funded by the SNSF's Agora scheme.
Scientists turn actor in "Blue Butterfly": Details