New National Research Programme for improved chemical safety

The number of chemical substances in use continues to rise. Persistent and mobile substances such as PFAS pose major challenges. For many substances, extensive data is available. However, the data is held by various institutions, which makes it difficult to share and use. The Federal Council has therefore tasked the SNSF with the launch of a call for proposals for a new National Research Programme on chemical safety.

NRP 88 aims to bring together existing knowledge and strengthen the foundations for the safe and sustainable use of chemicals. It is intended to make a significant contribution to assessing risks more reliably and mitigating them more effectively. The research focuses on three key areas:

• Making better use of existing data and linking it together.
• Developing new methods to identify and assess risks.
• Analysing regulatory and institutional frameworks.

The programme will also look at how the public perceives chemical risks.

Research linked to practice

NRP 88 brings together the natural sciences, social sciences, political science and law. Researchers and non-academic actors will work together closely to develop and implement research projects.

Owing to its high social and political relevance, the Federal Council has launched NRP 88 outside of the regular NRP cycle. The programme has a budget of five million Swiss francs. The SNSF will launch the call for proposals in spring 2027.

What are National Research Programmes?

National Research Programmes address issues of social and strategic importance to Switzerland. The Federal Council determines the research topics, while the SNSF implements the programmes.

The NRP programmes bring together various scientific disciplines and involve actors from the fields of politics, public administration, business and society. The research findings are intended to provide concrete input for policymaking and practical application.