NRP 82: Fifteen projects selected for transdisciplinary biodiversity research

Following an intensive two-stage selection process and on the recommendation of the Steering Committee of the National Research Programme ‘Promoting biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem services for Switzerland’ (NRP 82), the Research Council has approved fifteen projects with a total budget of 11.2 million Swiss francs. NRP 82 is exploring new ways of researching and promoting biodiversity and sustainable ecosystem services in Switzerland. The programme focuses on close collaboration between science and practice in order to develop viable solutions for stable and diverse ecosystem services.

With the start of the research phase between August and November 2025, NRP 82 is breaking new ground: it is Switzerland's first National Research Programme to consistently take a transdisciplinary approach from the start. All selected projects have been developed and set up in close collaboration between academic and societal actors, including NGOs, cantonal authorities, and agricultural stakeholders.

The NRP 82 aim is to strengthen biodiversity in the long term and sustainably secure the services provided by ecosystems, including clean water, fertile soils, and climate regulation.

High-quality projects have been selected

Of the 84 project ideas originally submitted, 33 teams were invited to submit a full proposal and benefitted from a funded six-month preparatory phase. During this preparatory phase, researchers and societal actors clarified their respective roles and responsibilities, refined the research questions, and jointly designed their projects. Ultimately, from the 32 submitted, 15 high-quality projects were selected.

‘The quality and societal relevance of the submitted projects are impressive,’ says Markus Fischer, President of the NRP 82 Steering Committee. ‘The close cooperation between research and practice from the outset is a key feature and the particular added value of this programme.’

A wide range of projects with practical relevance

The selected projects address varied topics, including strategies for sustainable management of wetlands, educational approaches to promoting biodiversity awareness in schools, methods for assessing biodiversity risks along supply chains, and investigating the ecological and legal consequences of new plant species arriving in Switzerland as a result of climate change.

NRP 82 also includes research into diverse habitats, examining the sustainable design of urban spaces or investigating the relocation of endangered Alpine plants to new habitats to ensure their survival.

Impetus for sustainable transformation

‘NRP 82 goes beyond traditional research programmes,’ Markus Fischer emphasises. ‘It provides targeted impetus for making society and the economy in Switzerland more biodiversity-friendly.’ The research results will continuously inform the dialogue between politics, administration, and practice.

Through its transdisciplinary approach, the programme will contribute to the implementation of international biodiversity targets in Switzerland, particularly the Global Biodiversity Framework and Agenda 2030.

The aim is to generate new knowledge and support long-term real-world impact in preserving and promoting biodiversity through changes in practices, policies, relationships, and discourses.