With the Sustainability Research Initiative, SCNAT, together with its sister institutions, promotes research on sustainable development and 2030 Agenda. It focuses on the joint handling of social issues of higher priority in overarching consortia.more

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Enabling transdisciplinary sustainability research

The final chapter of the report «Priority Themes for Swiss Sustainability Research» proposes ways for creating an enabling environment for transdisciplinary sustainability research. The proposals include: a) developing incentive systems that encourage researchers to get involved in such research and increase recognition for teamwork; b) strengthening science – policy dialogue; c) building partnerships with non-academic stakeholders; d) introducing training programmes to develop the skills needed for sustainability research; e) setting up novel institutional structures to foster collaboration across organizational boundaries; and f) strengthening funding opportunities and further developing evaluation procedures for transdisciplinary sustainability research.

Transdisciplinary Sustainable Research_ Report Priority Themes for Swiss Sustainability Research
Transdisciplinary Sustainable Research_ Report Priority Themes for Swiss Sustainability Research

Video: Explained succinctly by a professional - The six success factors for transdisciplinary sustainability research

Enabling Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research (German)

In this video, Prof. Dr. Peter Edwards explains what transdisciplinary sustainability research is and suggests ways to strengthen an enabling environment (gelling factors) for transdisciplinary sustainability research. Suggestions include: a) developing incentive systems; b) strengthening science-policy dialogue; c) building partnerships with non-academic actors; d) devising training programmes to develop the skills needed for sustainability research; e) creating novel institutional structures to foster collaboration across organisational boundaries; and f) strengthening funding opportunities and further developing evaluation approaches for transdisciplinary sustainability research. To simply state this would be far too easy for an emeritus professor. That is why Prof. Dr. Peter Edwards has been given the task of explaining the six success factors in just 120 seconds, can he do it? In the report "Priority Themes for Swiss Sustainability Research", a chapter is dedicated to transdisciplinary sustainability research.
This video was created by students of the Multimedia Production course in the Corporate Communications module at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. The multimedia projects were created as part of a collaboration between WWF Switzerland and the three Multimedia Production classes at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Graubünden and Bern.