[ Science and Technology for Humanitarian Action Challenges (HAC) | Research funding ]

The challenges faced by humanitarian organizations and by International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in particular are immense. In 2019, almost 71 million people were displaced due to conflict and insecurity, a number that had not been reached since World War Two. Extreme climate events, such as floods, storms and droughts, are on the rise, increasing the vulnerability of people who are already affected conflict1. The COVID19 pandemic is further jeopardizing the hard-fought gains in access to healthcare and poverty reduction of the past decades. To foster new solutions, EPFL and ETH Zurich have joined forces with the ICRC and launched the Science and Technology for Humanitarian Action Challenges program. The aim is to develop effective and innovative solutions enhancing the impact of humanitarian action.

Eligibility and scope
A Humanitarian Action Challenge must be a clearly defined research question designed to increase the impact of humanitarian action or to enable humanitarian actors to address new and emerging challenges, in line with the current or future work of the ICRC. The projects must be intended to develop, test, evaluate, or implement an innovative product, service, or policy, which involves a technology (as part of the research or the solution).

The main eligibility criteria are:

• The team must consist of at least one main applicant from EPFL, who holds a PhD, and at least one partner from the ICRC.
• In addition, the team is encouraged to have one partner from ETH Zurich and at least one partner from a low- or lower-middle-income country. Institutions from the rest of the ETH Domain (PSI, WSL, Empa, and Eawag) are welcome to join as co-applicants, and other institutions as partners.
• If the main applicant is not a professor or a financially independent senior scientist (MER) or financially independent adjunct professor (professeur titulaire), the application must include a letter of commitment from the host professor or the head of unit.

• Funding is available for 6-month to 24-month projects. The granted amounts will be between CHF 100’000 and CHF 300’000.
• Funding covers the project costs of the EPFL main applicant and of potential co-applicants from the ETH domain (excluding ETH Zurich, for which funding must be requested through the ETH Zurich call for proposals).
• Applicants (including potential co-applicants) must provide 25% of the requested amount as matching funds.

• Applicant must submit their application via the online submission platform.
• For questions, please contact the Research Office: [email protected]