Engaged UniBE – Transdisciplinary Projects for Sustainable Development
Funding for transdisciplinary climate protection projects in the Bern region
Requirements |
The project must involve both a societal player and a university member. It may not be part of an existing project and must start on 1 July 2026 |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Societal actors, researchers, lecturers, and/or students of the ºÚÁϳԹÏ. |
Funding amount |
Up to CHF 80,000 per year, for a maximum of 3 years. |
Scope |
Salary, materials, and third-party services. |
| Deadline | April 2027There is one submission deadline each year. |
With , the ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï supports innovative, transdisciplinary projects that make a concrete contribution to the and drive the sustainable transformation of science and society. Together for a sustainable future!
Principles
We are looking for projects that…
- work transdisciplinarily: Societal and university actors are equally involved from the very beginning – with clear roles, contributions, and responsibilities (e.g., time, expertise, resources).
- demonstrate a clear contribution to climate action: A simple impact model (e.g., Theory of Change) shows how the project contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate adaptation, or social innovations for sustainability.
- Direct impacts (e.g., COâ‚‚ reduction, soil de-sealing, energy savings) are given particular weight.
- Indirect impacts (e.g., awareness raising, networking, governance impulses) are welcome, provided they are plausibly supported by qualitative or quantitative targets.
- use innovative approaches: e.g., real-world experiments, living labs, new teaching, dialogue, or participation formats.
- connect science and practice: Results should be applicable in societal or political contexts.
Application
Submission deadline for project ideas: 30 April 2026
Provision of a binding commitment (subject to the recommendations of the evaluation panel being implemented by 15 June 2026): 20 May 2026
Submission deadline for final project applications: 15 June 2026
Project start: 1 July 2026
Please complete the form below and submit it by email.
Evaluation
Details on the evaluation process and the evaluation criteria can be found in the call document (see Principles tab). Please note that the criteria are weighted slightly differently for student projects.
The evaluation committee of the Engaged UniBE call consists of people with expertise in the field of climate protection and transdisciplinarity.
- Prof. Dr. Heike Mayer (Vice-Rectorate Quality and Sustainable Development, UniBE; Chair)
- Ms. Fabian Guggisberg (Office for Sustainable Development, UniBE)
- Dr. (scaling4good)
- Prof. Dr. (Wyss Academy for Nature - Climate Change Scenarios (CCSN))
Funded projects
| Year | 2026 |
2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Applications | 14 | 30 |
| Participating units | Faculties: Medicine/Inselspital, Phil.-hum., Phil.-nat., Vetsuisse |
Faculties: Phil.-hist., Phil.-hum., Phil.-nat. WISO. Centers: CDE, OCCR |
| Societal partners | Municipalities, cantonal authorities, recycling companies, non-profit organisations, associations, open-air museums |
Foundations, associations, nature parks, other civil society organisations |
| Themes | Climate adaptation, biodiversity, circular economy, sustainable consumption, health and infrastructure topics |
Climate action, biodiversity, social innovation, sustainable mobility, circular economy, participatory urban development, real-world laboratories |
| Funded projects | 5 | 4 |
| Total funding | CHF 1,016,515 |
CHF 843,257 |