Ten researchers from the University of Bern have been awarded Sinergia funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for their six research projects. The projects are being supported by the SNSF with funds totaling approximately CHF 6.7 million over a period of four years.
The Sinergia program of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) supports the joint projects of two to four research groups that conduct interdisciplinary research with the prospect of obtaining groundbreaking findings. As the name suggests, the aim is to harness synergies between differing areas of research: the expertise and knowledge of the applicants should complement each other. Their projects should address important scientific challenges and take a novel approach by questioning or going beyond existing models, doctrines or methods. The projects should also open up new research directions and have a high impact potential in the academic field or beyond.
In the most recent SNSF call for papers, 113 projects were assessed in a competitive procedure and 26 were chosen. Ten researchers from the University of Bern are responsible for six of these projects, some as co-directors. The budget per project is approximately CHF 1 million. Hugues Abriel, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at the University of Bern, is delighted with the success: "The interdisciplinary research at the University of Bern is very topical and excellently networked. The six Sinergia projects being undertaken by the researchers at Bern also stand out through their potential to deliver major benefits for society."
