27/Aug/2020
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 thus bring the research agreement with the EU to an end. In order to deliver outstanding performance, Switzerland’s education, research and innovation (ERI) sector relies on the free movement of persons and close cooperation with other countries.
The Limitation Initiative is harmful to education, research and innovation: Continue
03/Jul/2020
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 base among all parties. The mobilisation of women across party lines was only partially successful. Nevertheless, 2019 turned out to be the year of electoral success for women, because the willingness to vote for women instead of men increased significantly compared to 2015. These are some of the findings revealed in a report from the national election study Selects, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and conducted by the Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences FORS in Lausanne.
Influx from the SP helps the Greens to win elections: Continue
30/Jun/2020
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.
Meeting challenges through basic research: Continue
25/Jun/2020
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.
Towards a Swiss Food Strategy for 2050: Continue
16/Jun/2020
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 state of research at the midway point.
Is Switzerland ready for change?: Continue
15/May/2020
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.
Monitoring glaciers with optical fibres: Continue
08/May/2020
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.
Sadistic sexual murders involving child victims: insights for police: Continue
06/May/2020
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.
SNSF funds 1000 projects on digitalisation: Continue
28/Apr/2020
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.
Imaging science: Continue
20/Feb/2020
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.
Decision time predicts the risk of depression relapse: Continue