NRP 84 “Plant Breeding Innovation”: second call for proposals now open
This call is intended to fund projects that specifically focus on the social sciences and humanities.
Researchers are invited to submit applications to a second call for projects to be conducted within the National Research Programme “Plant Breeding Innovation” (NRP 84). This call is aimed at researchers in the social sciences and humanities (SSH), in fields including – but not restricted to – the applied ethics of innovation, social sciences, science education, anthropology, history, communication and media, economics and law.
NRP 84 will explore the capacity and social implications of new plant breeding technologies (NBT) to address food security challenges in Switzerland, with particular emphasis on their economic viability, ethical and social acceptability as well as ecological sustainability. The NRP is structured into three modules: Technical feasibility of NBT (Module 1); Ethics, society and economics (Module 2) and Regulatory considerations (Module 3). The first call successfully attracted projects exploring the technical feasibility of NBT and facilitated multidisciplinary collaboration. However, the Steering Committee has identified relevant gaps regarding the topics addressed in Modules 2 and 3 and has therefore decided to use the remaining funds to support additional projects in these modules.
NRP 84 has a total budget of 10 million Swiss francs and will run for five years. The maximum budget available to fund projects submitted to this second call is 2 million Swiss francs. Submitted proposals must focus on the SSH topics defined in Modules 2 and 3. While they may reference the themes of Module 1 and complement projects funded through the first call, proposals that specifically address the aims of Module 1 will not be considered in this second call.
Projects will be selected in a single-stage process. Interested researchers are invited to submit a proposal by 7 May 2025. Detailed information on the background and scope, the participation requirements and the submission and selection procedures are provided in the call document.