NRP 82 kicks off its preparatory phase with a workshop on transdisciplinary research
In NRP 82 ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’, researchers and societal actors work closely together to develop full proposals. During a workshop, they familiarised themselves with transdisciplinary methods.
The rapid loss of and changes to biodiversity in Switzerland raise fundamental research questions about the causes and consequences of these changes for our environment. Politicians, society, and the general public expect that research will provide solutions. This is why National Research Programme 82 (NRP 82) ‘Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’ pursues an innovative transdisciplinary approach, bringing together researchers and societal actors from civil society, the private and public sectors.
The NRP 82 is currently in its preparatory phase. From the 84 applications originally submitted, the SNSF Research Council invited 33 teams of researchers and societal actors to submit full proposals by 6 February 2025.
Kick-off with workshop
The Steering Committee of NRP 82 kicked off the preparatory phase with a workshop on transdisciplinary research methods. ‘Each project proposal must contain a convincing plan describing how the research results can contribute to the societal debate on biodiversity’, emphasised Markus Fischer, President of the NRP 82 Steering Committee, “Without a convincing plan, a project will not be funded”. Future projects must not only aim for the highest scientific quality, but also propose scientifically sound solutions for promoting biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem services.
As a conceptual basis, each project is tasked with presenting a ‘theory of change’. "This tool helps in visualising and conveying the anticipated changes," says Léon Späth, head of transdisciplinarity at NRP 82 and organiser of the workshop. “In this visualisation, the projected outcomes and insights are graphically connected to the desired impacts”. Each project must also establish suitable indicators to assess and record progress as well as the objectives attained.
Individual coachings for applicants
This method is unfamiliar to many researchers at Swiss universities, who typically share critical knowledge primarily at the conclusion of a project. Therefore, in addition to the workshop, NRP 82 provides two individual coaching sessions for each project. ‘I support and advise the teams by sharing my knowledge in transdisciplinary tools and methods’, explains Léon Späth. The aim is to offer a common understanding for all 33 project teams in preparation for the full proposal selection. In NRP 82, around 15 projects will be funded for a period four years starting August 2025