Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council in Interlaken on sustainable research

© Congress Kursaal Interlaken, Erich Häsler

Next week, around 50 research funding organisations from around the world will meet in Interlaken for the 12th Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council (GRC). The focus will be on the topic of "sustainable research".

The Annual Meeting of the Global Research Council, the international association of research funding organisations, will be taking place in Interlaken between 27 and 31 May 2024. The SNSF is organising the event together with the Ivory Coast's funding organisation.

The world's most important research funders and ministers will be discussing the main developments and challenges facing international research cooperation.

The GRC 2024 Annual Meeting will focus on the topic of sustainable research with three main areas:

  • How can research contribute to sustainable development?
  • How can research be made sustainable?
  • How can research findings be made available to politics and society for sustainable development?

New guiding principles for sustainable research

Numerous experts will present new findings and possible applications. The Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation is holding a presentation on Switzerland's scientific contribution to sustainable development. Peter Messerli, Director of the Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Bern, will discuss the tasks and responsibilities of research funding organisations in relation to sustainable research. At the end of the event, the GRC member organisations in Interlaken will adopt new guidelines on sustainable research in an international "Statement of Principles".

Shaping the future of research together

A global debate is needed on sustainable research and the scientific contribution to a sustainable society, and calls for cooperation across thematic and societal boundaries. The Global Research Council connects international research funding organisations and promotes cooperation between the Global South and Global North. With this in mind, the SNSF has organised the GRC's 2024 Annual Meeting together with the Ivory Coast funding organisation, the Fonds pour la Science, la Technologie et l'Innovation (FONSTI).