Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences SAMS
White Paper: Clinical Research
SWISS ACADEMIES COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. 16. NO 4, 2021
Patient-oriented clinical research in Switzerland, long considered a «problem» in comparison to basic and experimental research, has improved in the past twenty years thanks to public investments in various initiatives, data infrastructures, and support instruments. These efforts have however also led to a fragmentation of activities and deficits remain. The «White Paper: Clinical Research» of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences formulates seven goals to bring together the actors around a shared vision to increase the impact of clinical research and its benefits for all.
Based on the notion that good care comes with – and from – good science, the white paper calls for a transformation of the clinical research culture so as to make it more integrative at all levels. And presents an action plan for change to make Switzerland an international leader in patient-centered clinical research.
Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) (2021). White Paper: Clinical Research. Swiss Academies Communications 16 (4).
Swiss Academy of Sciences SCNAT
Roles of Scientists in Sustainability Transformations: A Guide for Reflection and Workshop Facilitation
Scientists, scientific experts, and knowledge brokers often find themselves in situations where they need to play new roles in society or are criticised for positioning themselves at the interface between science and other societal fields of action. The present guide aims to stimulate reflections on, and discussions of, various different roles that scientists perform.
European Academies Science Advisory Council EASAC
Changing wildfires: policy options for a fire-literate and fire-adapted Europe
There is an increased probability of extreme fires, due mainly to climate change (droughts and declining summer precipitation), rural depopulation, and land-use changes. To respond to this, a new European Academies report is calling for an urgent shift in wildfire policy – from reactive fire suppression to proactive, risk-based land management.
Already today, wildfires burn half a million hectares in the EU yearly on average, i.e. nearly twice the size of Luxembourg. While the Mediterranean remains the highest-risk region, the report warns that continental, alpine, and boreal regions must also prepare for a new era of fire. Instead of focussing on fire suppression and emergency response, the report advocates for an integrated EU framework for landscape fire-risk governance that prioritises prevention alongside these three elements: climate and land-use policies that focus on restoring carbon-rich peatlands and managing forests sustainably; integrate fire risk into biodiversity and tree-planting plans; and educate for a fire-resilient society.
The report under the auspices of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) was drafted by scientists from across Europe. On behalf of the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences, Marco Conedera, forest engineer at the WSL Campus in Cadenazzo, contributed as a reviewer of a draft version.
Actor constellation - td-net toolbox profile 2 Pohl, C. 2020
This publication describes the actor constellation and is part of a series of tools and methods compiled in the td-net toolbox for co-producing knowledge. Actor constellation is a role-play for identifying the relevance of various involved actors for tackling a specific research question.