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SNSF Corona Research Conference, 21–23 March 2023, Thun

The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) will hold the SNSF Corona Research Conference from 21 to 23 March 2023, bringing together all the SNSF-funded Corona research teams and other researchers working in the field.

Start21.03.2023 12:30
End23.03.2023 12:30
VenueKultur- und Kongresszentrum Thun
Registration deadline07.02.2023

A total of around 100 research groups are expected to attend, representing the numerous research fields surrounding SARS-CoV-2 and pandemic research. The main group of participants will be the research teams from the National Research Programmes "Covid-19" (NRP 78) and "Covid-19 in Society" (NRP 80) as well as the SNSF Special Call on Coronaviruses. In addition, other research groups from Innosuisse, the SNSF and EU-associated Corona research projects will also participate.

Bringing Corona researchers together

The aim of this interdisciplinary conference is to provide an update and exchange of knowledge between the biomedical, social sciences and other disciplines. Thematic discussion and presentation sessions, as well as poster sessions, will raise awareness of the benefits of both short- and long-term research to address pandemics. At the same time, it will identify challenges that science needs to address in order to be better prepared against future pandemics. The conference also creates space for discussions around achievements and challenges of the science and innovation system to deepen the understanding of the multiple aspects of a pandemic.

The conference programme also covers the kick-off meeting of NRP 80 and the final conferences of NRP 78 as well as the SNSF Special Call on Coronaviruses.

Interested parties are invited to attend the public conference day on Wednesday, 22 March 2023.

  • Programme

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    Programme 21 March 2023 (Corona researchers)

    TimeThemeTheme
    13:30 – 13:45 Closing Conference NRP 78 and Special Call on Coronaviruses
    Welcome Marcel Salathé, President of the Steering Committee     		Kick-off Meeting NRP 80
    Welcome Thomas N. Friemel, President of the Steering Committee
    13:45 – 15:00Closing Conference NRP 78 and Special Call on Coronaviruses
    Final project presentations – Part I (Parallel sessions)    		Kick-off Meeting NRP 80
    Group presentation of the funded research
    15:00 – 15:30Coffee break and networking
    15:30 – 16:50 Closing Conference NRP 78 and Special Call on Coronaviruses
    Final project presentations – Part II (Parallel sessions)     		Kick-off Meeting NRP 80
    Group presentation of the funded research
    17:00 – 17:15 Common wrap up NRP 78 & NRP 80 Co-chaired by Marcel Salathé and Thomas N. Friemel
    17:15 – 18:30 Crossover topical poster session – Part I
    18:30 – 21:00 NRP 78 and Special Call on Coronaviruses
    Aperitif, Dinner, Community activity     		NRP 80
    Speed-dating aperitif, Dinner, Community activity

    Programme 22 March 2023 (Conference day open for other interested parties)

    TimeTheme
    09:00 – 09:15Welcome speech by Nicolas Rodondi
    Delegate of the Programmes division of the National Research Council SNSF
    09:15 – 10:45Keynote speeches
    Pandemics of the Past, Present and Future: Reflections of an epidemiologist
    Lone Simonsen – Professor of Population Health Sciences, Department of Science and Environment, Director of PandemiX, pandemic research centre, Roskilde University, Denmark (tbc)

    Societies in the mirror of Covid-19
    Samia Hurst - Institute for Ethics, History and the Humanities, University of Geneva, member of the former Swiss National Covid-19 Science Task Force
    10:45 – 11:15Coffee break
    11:15 – 12:30 Parallel thematic sessions – «Scientific challenges during the crisis»
    Session A
    Research approaches, selection and funding issues
    Session B
    Rapid implementation and innovation in policy and health
    Session C
    Knowledge transfer and scientific communications in times of crisis
    12:30 – 13:45 Lunch
    13:45 – 15:00 Parallel thematic sessions – «Scientific challenges for future crisis»
    Session D
    Preparedness of the scientific and innovation system
    Session E
    Public knowledge and trust in the scientific and innovation process
    Session F
    Preparedness of the Swiss federal system for a global crisis
    15:00 – 16:15 Crossover topical poster session – Part II
    16:15 – 16:45 Coffee break
    16:45 – 17:30 Wrap ups of the thematic parallel sessions
    17:30 – 18:30 Panel discussion on learnings out of the pandemic
    Participants: Samia Hurst (tbc), Emanuela Keller (Innosuisse), Lone Simonsen, Thomas Friemel and Marcel Salathé. Moderated by Nicolas Rodondi (SNSF).
    18:30 – 21:00 Common aperitif and dinner

    Programme 23 March 2023 (Corona researchers)

    TimeThemeTheme
    09:00 – 09:15 Welcome and information Knowledge Transfer
    09:15 – 10:30Closing Conference NRP 78 and Special Call on Coronaviruses
    Recommendations: Clinical and other fields    		Kick-off Meeting NRP 80
    Znüni for PIs and for young researchers
    10:30 – 10:45Coffee break
    10:45 – 11:45 Closing Conference NRP 78
    (voluntary for Special Call on Coronaviruses)
    Session on NRP 78 synthesis preparation     		Kick-off Meeting NRP 80
    Stakeholder Management within the thematic clusters
    11:45 – 12:15 Wrap up and farewell by Marcel Salathé and Thomas N. Friemel
    12:15 – 13:30 Common lunch

  • Scientific Committee

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    Thomas Friemel, University of Zurich, Professor of Media Use & Effects, President of the NRP 80 Steering Committee (co-chair)

    Marcel Salathé, EPFL, Professor of Digital Epidemiology, President of the NRP 78 Steering Committee (co-chair)

    Bettina Ernst, Preclin Biosystems AG, Innosuisse Innovation Councillor, Member of the NRP 78 Steering Committee

    Daniel Gredig, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Professor at the School of Social Work, National Research Council – Humanities and Social Sciences

    Gudela Grote, ETH Zurich, Professor of Work and Organisational Psychology, National Research Council – Programmes

    Emanuela Keller, University of Zurich, Innosuisse Innovation Councillor, Member of the NRP 78 Steering Committee

    Claudia Kühni, University of Bern, Professor in Paediatric Epidemiology, National Research Council – Biology and Medicine

  • Organising Committee

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    Knowledge Transfer:

    • Mark Bächer, Life Science Communication AG, Zürich, Head of Knowledge Transfer NRP 78
    • Xavier Pilloud, VIRTÙ Public Affairs AG, Bern/Fribourg, Head of Knowledge Transfer NRP 80

    SNSF:

    • Pascal Walther, Head of Unit NRP, SNSF
    • Yvonne Rosteck, Programme Manager NRP 78 and NRP 80, SNSF
    • Julien Jauquier, Programme Assistant NRP 78, SNSF
    • Jacqueline Hänni, Programme Assistant NRP 80, SNSF