Research partnerships
Sustainability issues are complex and need to be tackled collectively. Stimulating the co-construction of shared knowledge between the world of research and the players on the ground seems necessary to accelerate ecological and social transitions.
The publications and research programmes carried out in the many disciplines that contribute to the themes of sustainability form a valuable knowledge base that can feed into projects in the field. Conversely, the links forged also help, in return, to stimulate and further enrich academic work.
Interface
Since 2024, UNIL has had the "Interface" fund to support partnership research. It aims to develop innovative research projects, both in terms of their subject matter and the ways in which they are carried out. This research is carried out between members of the UNIL community and partners in the field. Interface aims to promote research with an identified social impact, which responds to a specific social need and offers accessible results.
Volteface
Volteface is an action-research platform whose specific feature is that it brings together researchers and stakeholders in society: public administrations, companies and associations. Projects always start from needs identified in the field and are then developed jointly by UNIL and the partners, bringing together the knowledge that emerges from research and that of the field.
The first edition of Volteface was developed between 2014 and 2018 by UNIL, Romande Energie and the Canton of Vaud. The second edition (2021-2023) supported around ten projects thanks to the UNIL management and the Fondation pour l'UNIL. A third edition will be launched in the summer of 2024 under the Interface fund and will focus on the links between health and sustainability.