The SNSF’s largest funding scheme: 286.5 million Swiss francs for 338 projects

Additional examples of funded projects

Social sciences and humanities

• Children’s success in learning depends not only on their intelligence but also on their metacognitive skills. The latter are at the centre of Professor Mariëtte van Loon’s research project at the University of Zurich. Metacognitive skills are the ability to monitor one’s learning and control it by making effective decisions based on this monitoring. Especially during the transition from elementary to secondary school, children are expected to hone these skills and take greater responsibility for their learning, for example identifying and correcting mistakes on their own. The project will make an important contribution to identifying children who struggle with metacognitive development and finding ways to support them.

Mathematics, informatics, natural sciences and technology

• Near Infrared (NIR) imaging is a safer alternative to PET or X-rays. Pablo Rivera Fuentes and his team at the University of Zurich plan to use it to investigate how the brain functions. In order to see what happens around the brain in real time, the team will develop new dye molecules with the help of machine learning as well as a molecule engineering technique based on the principle of evolution.
• In the last 2.6 million years, the Earth exhibited a cyclic alternation of glacial periods and relatively warm periods. About 1 million years ago, the lengths of the glacial and warm periods changed relatively suddenly. It is crucial to understand this change as it may also shape the future evolution of the Earth’s climate. Hubertus Fischer (University of Bern) will measure the dust contained in an Antarctic ice core to reconstruct the climate conditions during the last 1.5 million years and help explain the changes in the lengths of the glacial and warm periods.

Life sciences

• Shoulder pain is a common issue for manual wheelchair users, profoundly impacting their daily lives as they rely on their arms for all activities. Chronic shoulder pain often leads to inactivity, the use of many medicines, dependence on others and a reduction in quality of life. In her project, Ursina Arnet (Swiss Paraplegic Research) focuses on assessing shoulder health and ways to prevent pain. The knowledge gained will enable healthcare professionals to adapt and individualize patient care. Reducing shoulder pain will not only improve patients' well-being but also reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
• Respiratory infections such as influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 are a leading cause of global mortality and morbidity. At the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Samuel Nobs is investigating how different dietary compositions, including high-calorie and high-fibre diets, influence infection outcomes. The study examines how diet-induced changes in the gut microbiota and systemic molecules affect antiviral immunity and whether these changes play a key role in infection severity. By understanding these mechanisms, the study could pave the way for novel metabolite-based precision medicine.

Interdisciplinary projects

• Every time a vehicle moves, its tires shed tiny rubber particles into the environment. Caused by friction with the road, these are known as tire wear particles (TWPs). These particles can become airborne, and, due to their small size, they might enter and possibly penetrate the human airway, potentially causing adverse health effects. However, the specific properties that contribute to their toxicity in humans – such as particle size, surface structure and chemical composition – are not yet well understood. To fill this gap in knowledge, Danilo Engelmann from the Bern University of Applied Sciences and Loretta Müller from the Department of Paediatrics of the University Hospital of Bern are collecting TWPs under real-world driving conditions to analyse their physical and chemical properties as well as their effects on advanced respiratory cell models. Their goal is to identify the toxicity factors and to recommend strategies to reduce TWP emissions.
• Assessing lung function and structure in infants and toddlers remains challenging due to the limitations of current methods such as chest X-rays and CT scans. These methods either miss subtle respiratory dysfunctions or expose young patients to harmful radiation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a safer alternative but is limited by the unique physiology of young children. To address this issue, Grzegorz Baumann from the University Hospital Basel and Philipp Latzin from the University of Bern are developing a new proton-based MRI technique that enables precise imaging of lung function and structure without the need for injecting a contrast dye. This approach aims to provide a safer, non-invasive and more reliable method for evaluating lung health in the youngest children.