NRP 79 annual meeting in Zurich: working towards the programme synthesis

The programme synthesis brings together the most important research findings and integrates them in a societal and political context. The key results from individual projects are consolidated in order to develop sound recommendations and to make the scientific insights comprehensible and accessible for various target groups.

The event revolved around two workshops in which research groups discussed and practised developing messages and recommendations for various stakeholders. A subsequent feedback session was held to gather ideas and input from the workshops.

How research can impact society and policy

Caroline Schlaufer from the KPM Center for Public Management at the University of Bern and head of an NRP 79 project gave a presentation entitled ‘Influencing policy; insights for academics’ in which she emphasised that there are various ways of getting involved in the policy cycle but that researchers must be well informed in advance about the political context and processes. She highlighted the challenge of promoting dialogue between researchers, society and policymakers and fostering collaboration. Meanwhile, Otto Maissen from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) underscored the importance of involving the right stakeholders and of raising the profile of scientific insights through clear messaging – a key element of knowledge transfer into policy.

Herwig Grimm, president of the Steering Committee, presented the next steps in NRP 79, including a new collaborative initiative to promote cooperation between NRP research groups. He also announced that there will be a second round of calls for implementation projects next year.

The meeting saw plenty of intensive and lively discussions on topics including the role of direct dialogue between researchers and decision-makers. The next annual meeting will take place in 2026.

Further information and updates on the projects are available on the official NRP 79 website and via the newsletter and social media channels.