Research Programs

With its University Research Priority Programs (URPPs), the UZH strengthens and promotes excellent scientific fields, connects researchers, and supports qualified young researchers. The focus of this research funding, which is awarded every eight years, is on socially relevant areas. Our faculty currently (April 2023) has the lead for four URPPs:

• In the URPP Adaptive brain circuits in development and learning, the emergence and involvement of neuronal networks in behavior are investigated in animal models and in humans. 
• In the URPP Evolution in Action: From genomes to ecosystems, state-of-the-art genome analysis methods are applied to better understand biological change processes in medicine and biology.
• In the URPP Global change and biodiversity,  the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss and global change are studied, contributing to a much-needed better understanding of the mechanisms of climate change.
• In the URPP Artificial Photosynthesis – LightChEC: Converting Solar Light into Chemical Energy, the basics of directly storing solar energy into chemical energy with novel materials and processes are being investigated - a key technology for sustainable energy supply in the ²¹st century. 

In addition to these URPPs, researchers from our faculty are involved in additional URPPs led by other faculties. These are Translational Cancer Research, Language and Space, Dynamics of Healthy Aging, Human Reproduction and Innovative Therapies in Rare Diseases (ITINERARE). 

National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs) are lighthouses of research in Switzerland. Here, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) funds long-term research projects on topics of strategic importance.  

The UZH is the leading house for the NCCR Evolving Language, with prominent participation by the Faculty of Science. This multidisciplinary research priority program has set itself the task of researching language in all its aspects – from evolution, production and processing to change through digital means of communication. Researchers of the Faculty of Science are and have been involved in numerous other NCCRs.