University of Geneva
University of Zurich

Strategic Partnership

UZH-UNIGE Joint Research and Teaching Fund

The Joint Funding Scheme for Research and Teaching between the University of Zurich and the University of Geneva is launched once a year with funding of up to CHF 60'000 per project.

Annual Thematic Call 2020-2021

COVID–19 and the recent global health crisis has unveiled the fragility of our societies and ecosystems. Against the background of the emerging topics in this context, UNIGE and UZH call for proposals for joint projects in research and teaching on the theme:

"Shaping resilient and responsive societies and ecosystems in view of global crises"

Topics to be considered might include, but are not limited to:

  • Necessary measures to shape a more resilient and responsive society and ecosystem
  • Role of science, politics, and industry in shaping agile and resilient societies
  • Synergies and collaboration between public and private sector during times of crisis
  • Comparing local, national and international rapid response practices
  • Impact of the global health crisis on social resilience and responsiveness as well as on individual behavior
  • The influence of the economic, legal and social framework on the administration and effect of crises
  • Historical comparisons and lessons to be learnt from the past

Image source

___

Eligibility

The funding scheme is not limited to a specific academic field and the proposals can be either focused on one discipline or be of interdisciplinary character.

Geneva and Zurich faculty are invited to submit proposals for collaborative projects in research and/or teaching using a common application form. Proposals may come from individual faculty members or a group of faculty but should have Geneva and Zurich faculty members as co-PI’s (Principal Investigator) in all cases. Principal Investigators must hold a Doctoral degree and be regular faculty members with employment contracts covering the entire period of the project.

Deadline

The Call for Proposals closes on 30 November 2020.

Submission

Given the multilingual character of the academic community in both universities, English has been chosen as the official language for this Call for Proposals. To facilitate project review, applications should be in English on this platform.

The proposals must include a short summary of the project (max. 1000 words), a timeline and a budget (please use the Excel template provided under "General instructions" in the application submission form). The application process also includes answering a few short questions on the planned activities, the potential outcomes, the merits of the project, other potential funding sources, etc. A tutorial (PDF format) is available on the instructions page once you are signed in.

The application submission page is visible only if you are signed in (if you are reading this page while signed in, click on "dashboard"). If you previously had an account on the unige-cofunds.ch platform, your username is still active, but you need to create a new password at login.

Evaluations

Proposals will be evaluated by a joint committee composed of faculty members and the Rectorates from UNIGE and UZH. Particular attention will be given to the following criteria:

  • Meaningful impact in relation to the topic of the call
  • Potential for creating sustainable follow-up collaborative activities
  • Scientific merit and envisaged synergies of the proposed activities and of the anticipated outcome
  • Potential for strengthening the institutional links between UNIGE and UZH
  • Coherent and clearly formulated plan of the activity (comprehensible for non-expert reviewers) and Clear outline of dissemination activities

Funding

Grants will be awarded in the amounts of min. CHF 25,000 to max. CHF 60,000 per project. Depending on available funding, a total of 4-8 projects will be selected.
Project duration: 18 months.

Funds can be spent over the course of the grant period on:

  • Travel and accommodation costs for meetings at the partner university
  • Use of research facilities and consumables
  • Jointly organized workshops or conferences
  • Research assistant wages
  • Science communication (e.g. joint publications, policy-briefs, or activities to foster the dialogue between science and society and/or politics)

The following expenses are not eligible:

  • salaries of Principal Investigators or regular faculty members
  • conference or event registration fees unless specifically for presenting the findings of the project
  • purchase of office equipment (computers, printers)

Administrative Contacts for Submission of Proposals and for Further Information

At UNIGE:
Dr. Nuné Nikoghosyan
Partnerships Manager
International Relations and Partnerships Office
nune.nikoghosyan@unige.ch

At UZH:
Dr. Sara Elmer
Project Manager
International Relations Office
sara.elmerudry2@uzh.ch