The consortium is expected to be operative from 2023 to 2032. The call for pre-proposals is scheduled for February 2022. About 1,5 million from a total budget of approximately 8,5 million Swiss francs will be earmarked exclusively for research in the humanities and social sciences.
The development of the energy system is inextricably interwoven with the development of society and the economy. However, most models and scenarios traditionally used in energy research fail to consider aspects such as social practices, narratives, societal trends, voting behavior and new forms of political participation. Including these aspects could significantly improve the validity of simulations in energy research.
With this in mind, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is to create a transdisciplinary consortium, which will play a key role in the SFOE’s research funding program «SWEET». The official call for proposals is scheduled for February 2022. On 1 of November 2021, the SFOE informed about the upcoming call in a workshop where a small group of researchers from various fields participated in preliminary discussions. |
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Goal: catalyzing transformative energy research by connecting the dots
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The consortium is expected to improve the validity, efficiency, and transformative potential of energy research in the context of SWEET. To this end, it may take on a broad range of tasks such as: - Define scenarios and narratives that integrate assumptions and theories from various disciplines (considering societal, political, cultural etc. as well as technological parameters)
- Coordinate and harmonize scenarios and simulations from different research groups
- Build networks by creating exchange platforms for research groups or individual researchers from various fields
- Initiate and encourage the formation of inter- and transdisciplinary research groups and research projects
- Investigate dimensions of the co-evolution of society and the energy system that require an inter- and transdisciplinary approach
- Interpret results from the various research projects in the context of SWEET and draw conclusions together with the respective research groups
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Key information on the call (with reservation until the official call)
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- Working title: «Coordinated simulations of the Swiss energy system»
- Target groups: Researchers from various disciplines and in particular from the humanities and social sciences, as well as actors outside the research system
- Time of operation: 2023–2032
- Budget: About 8,5 million Swiss francs, of which 1,5 million earmarked exclusively for research in the humanities and social sciences
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Call to action: contributions of SSH are crucial
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All disciplines of the humanities and social sciences are encouraged to contribute to attaining the Swiss climate targets by weighing in with their expertise in energy research. In this view, the projected consortium of SWEET is a unique opportunity: it is expected to coordinate, initiate and enhance ambitious energy research projects throughout the next 10 years. |
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About the funding program SWEET
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Running from 2021 to 2032, the SFOE’s funding program SWEET (Swiss Energy research for the Energy Transition) supports research and innovation projects that contribute to implementing Switzerland’s Energy Strategy 2050 and achieving its climate goals (among other things, a reduction of energy consumption per person, an increase in energy efficiency, an expansion of renewable energies, a reduction of energy-related CO2 emissions, and a gradual phase-out of nuclear energy).
Contact
Andreas Haselbacher of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy is happy to answer your questions: andreas.haselbacher@bfe.admin.ch | sweet@bfe.admin.ch |
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