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| Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences | |
|---|---|
| Name | Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences |
| Native name | Schweizerische Akademie der Naturwissenschaften |
| Formation | 1815 |
| Type | Academy |
| Headquarters | Bern |
| Location | Switzerland |
| Parent organization | Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences |
Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences is a national learned society based in Bern that serves as a hub for researchers, practitioners, and institutions across Switzerland. It engages with stakeholders in Zurich, Geneva, Lausanne, Basel, and Lugano to advise parliaments, ministries, and international bodies on matters related to the natural sciences. The Academy collaborates with universities, research institutes, and museums to promote scientific excellence and evidence-based policy.
The Academy traces institutional roots to the early nineteenth century with connections to the University of Bern, University of Geneva, ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, and University of Basel, influenced by figures linked to the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and scientific societies in Paris, London, and Berlin. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries it interacted with institutions such as the Royal Society, Académie des Sciences, Leopoldina, and the Linnean Society while responding to crises like the Spanish flu pandemic and World War I and World War II. Postwar expansion saw ties to organizations including the European Science Foundation, CERN, and the OECD as the Academy advised Swiss delegations to the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Recent decades involved cooperation with the Swiss National Science Foundation, European Research Council, Horizon Europe, and Science Europe to shape research policy and respond to climate change, biodiversity loss, and digital transformation.
The Academy's objectives align with promoting scientific research, fostering links among universities and polytechnics such as ETH Zurich and EPFL, and providing independent advice to the Federal Council, Federal Assembly, cantonal authorities, and municipal administrations. It seeks to increase public engagement through partnerships with museums like the Natural History Museum of Bern and institutions such as the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL). Objectives include supporting early-career researchers associated with institutes like the Paul Scherrer Institute, improving science literacy through collaborations with UNESCO and the Council of Europe, and contributing to international assessments like IPCC and IPBES.
The Academy operates within the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences framework and comprises specialist sections and commissions that coordinate with faculties at the University of Lausanne, University of Fribourg, University of Neuchâtel, and the Università della Svizzera italiana. Governance bodies mirror models used by the Royal Society and the Max Planck Society, with an elected presidency, council, and secretariat based in Bern. The structure includes thematic committees that liaise with the European Molecular Biology Organization, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, as well as administrative units handling finance, communications, and international relations.
Membership draws from senior researchers affiliated with institutions such as ETH Zurich, EPFL, University of Geneva, University of Basel, University of Lausanne, and international scholars connected to Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Fellows include awardees of prizes like the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal, Lasker Award, and Balzan Prize, and recipients of grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation and European Research Council. Membership categories reflect traditions seen in the National Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Académie des Sciences, encompassing full members, corresponding members, and honorary members linked to museums, botanical gardens, and observatories.
Programs span science-policy interface work with the Federal Office for the Environment, conservation projects coordinated with WWF Switzerland, and public outreach in collaboration with foundations such as the Gebert Rüf Stiftung and the Novartis Foundation. Activities include organizing conferences similar to those held by the Royal Institution, workshops with the European Space Agency and ESA operations, and summer schools modeled on EMBO courses. The Academy runs advisory panels for IPCC processes, participates in biodiversity initiatives with BirdLife International, and convenes expert groups on health topics involving the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The Academy publishes position papers, white papers, and reports analogous to outputs by the National Academies Press and Leopoldina, and contributes to journals circulated through publishers such as Springer Nature, Elsevier, and Wiley. Publications cover topics from climate science linked to IPCC assessments, to ecology relevant to IPBES, and to materials science connected with proceedings from the American Chemical Society and Royal Society of Chemistry. Outputs include proceedings from symposia hosted with CERN, Paul Scherrer Institute, ETH Zurich, and EPFL, and policy briefs used by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and cantonal administrations.
Funding derives from federal grants administered by the Swiss Confederation, project funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, and collaborative funding through Horizon Europe consortia with partners including the European Commission, European Research Council, and universities like University College London and Technical University of Munich. Partnerships extend to international organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, IUCN, and philanthropic entities including the Wellcome Trust and the Gates Foundation. The Academy maintains institutional collaborations with research centers like the Max Planck Institutes, CNRS laboratories, and the Karolinska Institute to support joint initiatives and exchange programs.
Category:Scientific organizations based in Switzerland Category:Learned societies of Switzerland Category:Scientific academies