Calls

Die Nachhaltigkeitsforschung braucht gut qualifizierten wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs, der in der Lage ist, zu Lösungen von komplexen gesellschaftlichen Herausforderungen in unseren Städten und Regionen auch unter Berücksichtigung neuer Technologien beizutragen. Aus diesem Grund fördert das Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt (BMFTR) sozial-ökologische Nachwuchsgruppen, die einen Beitrag zur Hightech-Agenda Deutschland leisten. Die diesjährige Einreichfrist wurde um sechs Monate verschoben. Skizzen können dementsprechend bis zum 30. Oktober 2026 eingereicht werden.

We welcome contributions from all sectors, areas of practice and disciplines that share experiences and learning. We are particularly interested in creative methods used beyond data gathering - although data-gathering methods are also welcome - and in related topics such as funding, ethical approval, and publishing creative research. Contributions may take any creative format, including outdoor sessions in the city. We also welcome proposals for facilitated networking sessions that use creative and inclusive approaches to help participants and lived experience co-researchers connect, exchange ideas and develop potential collaborations. We are especially keen to hear from researchers and activists using creative research methods in areas including, but not limited to, policy, practice-based research, digital and commercial research, the life and social sciences, and the arts and heritage sectors.

Submission deadline: 29 November 2026

Lectureships and Prolonged Research Stays

A Swiss research group or team, ideally one senior researcher, one postdoctoral fellow and one PhD student, can apply for up to CHF 50,000 for a stay of 2 to 6 months at an African higher education institution. The focus is on institutional capacity development: joint curriculum development, teaching, research activities, and joint funding acquisition.

Key information for both calls:

• Submission deadline: 30 November 2026, 17:00 CET

• Decision: 15 March 2027

• Project start: earliest 1 April 2027 (Research Stays); Seasonal Schools must take place by October 2027

• Eligible partner countries: sub-Saharan Africa (the Maghreb region and Egypt are not covered by this programme)

• Applications: one single PDF, in English, to callafrica.cde@unibe.ch

• Full call texts, application requirements and FAQs: https://www.swisstph.ch/en/research/leading-house-africa

Both instruments are funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and implemented by Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, on behalf of the Leading House Africa (Swiss TPH, University of Basel).

Die Ausschreibung für die Förderlinie transdisciplinary_innovation ist offen. Die Deadline ist der 15. Dezember 2026.  

Im Rahmen der Ausschreibung wird die Entwicklung von Flagship-Lehrangeboten für das inter-/transdisziplinäre Kernangebot der School for Transdisciplinary Studies (STS) gefördert. Flagship-Angebote adressieren inter-/transdisziplinäre Themenfelder, zu welchen – aufgrund ihrer überragenden Bedeutung für zukünftige gesellschaftliche und wirtschaftliche Entwicklungen – möglichst vielen Studierenden der UZH, unabhängig von ihrem Fachstudium, ein Wissens-und Kompetenzerwerb ermöglicht werden soll.

How can transdisciplinary research move from conceptual debate to real societal impact? This collection invites contributions that explore how collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and knowledge systems fosters transformative change. We welcome papers that critically reflect on the practices, methods, and politics of doing transdisciplinary research—its promises, challenges, and implications for knowledge co-production and societal transformation.

Submission deadline: 31 December 2026