ETH4D Research To Action Projects

ETH4D Research to Action Grant

The grant aims to ensure that research results are being used, implemented, and disseminated. It supports ETH Zurich students, post-docs and senior scientists to develop prototypes, explore opportunities for entrepreneurship and discuss their work with practitioners. The grant sum is up to 5 kCHF.

See here for further information on eligibility and application criteria.

2024

Based on her Master’s thesis research, Helia Jamshidi will produce the documentary film “I Will Speak My Curls” which brings to light the experiences of racialized communities in Zurich. The grant supports her in editing the film, organising a public screening and roundtable discussion with the film's participants, fostering dialogue between the community and academia. The event aims to challenge stigmatization, promote understanding, and advocate for institutional changes, such as adding curl care to Coiffure Suisse’s curriculum.

Project Lead: Helia Jamshidi

This project builds on the Julian Rieder’s master’s thesis on sustainable water kiosk models in Liberia, identifying key challenges in community engagement, technology, and operations and maintenance. By returning to Liberia, he aims to share findings with local stakeholders and NGOs like through workshops, helping improve current and future water kiosk projects. The initiative seeks to bridge research and practice, contributing to the long-term sustainability of water infrastructure in one of the world’s least developed countries.

Project Lead: Julian Rieder

Together with their long-standing partners at the Circular Bionutrient Economy Network (CBEN), the Sustainable Agroecosystems Group at ETH will host a 2-day conference in Kenya that will bring together circular economy researchers and practitioners such as farmers, NGO, government and industry representatives. The conference will cover topics such as standardisation, carbon markets, and policy alignment across Sub-Saharan Africa. Outputs will include a policy brief on waste recovery and documentation of benefits and risks of carbon market integration.

Prof. Dr. Johan Six, Sustainable Agroecosystems

Lin Boynton’s doctoral research on plastic recycling in Malawi underscores the critical need for the UN Global Plastics Treaty to address the specific challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries. With rising plastic consumption and limited waste management infrastructure, Malawi represents the broader environmental pressures in resource-constrained contexts. By engaging in the treaty negotiations and co-hosting a multi-stakeholder workshop, her goal was to bridge research and policy.

Project Lead: Lin Bonyton

Dr. George Boateng organised the second edition of AfricAIED 2024, a workshop focused on advancing Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) tailored to the African context, addressing the lack of representation and relevance of current AI systems for African learners. The workshop featured an AI Hackathon alongside talks, demos, and panels involving educators, researchers, and AI experts. The workshop took place in Accra, Ghana and online.

Project lead: Dr. George Boateng, Information Management

Dr. Kathrin Hofer returned to Johannesburg to share and discuss findings from her doctoral project on public participation in urban development, based on extensive research in Bramfischerville. The project revealed strong community support for inclusive and interactive participation, while also highlighting significant gaps between residents' expectations and institutional practices, which the researcher seeked to address through stakeholder workshops. The goals of the workshops were to inform residents, engage municipal officials, and co-develop a policy brief with broader relevance for participatory urban governance in South Africa.

Project lead: Dr. Kathrin Hofer, Spatial Development and Urban Policy

2023

2022

The narrative of "Swiss" chocolate needs reevaluation, especially considering the realities of cocoa production. This art-science project connects Ivorian cocoa producers with Swiss consumers, fostering critical reflection on the socio-economic impacts of the chocolate industry. As with most other food products consumers do not know how they are produced and what this means for the people who produce them. Based on interviews with Ivorian cocoa farmers, the project creates an exhibition, which will be displayed in corner shops in Zurich and Geneva to reach a diverse audience and raise awareness of the cocoa value chain.

Project lead: Braida Thom, Agroecological Transitions

The project explored the effectiveness of simulation-based training for mixed groups of doctors and nurses in a low-resource setting by organizing remote medical training for an emergency ward in a rural South African hospital. The training involved an initial two-day session for 8 doctors and 8 nurses, facilitated by a local training provider and supported by a simulation dummy. The team was able to conducted 12 weekly interactive simulation sessions. Continuous performance evaluations showed improvement in participants' emergency procedure skills. Based on the positive outcomes, the team plans plans to continue and expand the training program and develop a digital training app within the impact start-up “breathe medical.”

Projekt lead: external page Dr. Thomas Lumpe, breathe medical AG (ETH-Spinoff)

As part of the ETH4D Research Challenges 2021, the ETH Forest Management and Development Group has been collaborating with the NGO arboRise to investigate low-cost sustainable reforestation with seedballs in Guinea. During three study visits they have gathered data on local tree-cutting practices, community organization for reforestation, and perceptions of arboRise’s efforts. The Research to Action grant allowed the researchers to return to the same villages and discuss the results of their research and possible action points. Due to the feedback of the communities during the visits and the wish of many families to be recruited by the project, arboRise plans to engage new familities, in addition to the 500 families currently already engaged in the project.

Project lead: Dr. Anne Dray Giger, Forest Management and Development

Major cocoa manufacturers and trading companies have adopted Sustainable Supply Chain Initiatives (SSIs) to promote agroforestry in Ivory Coast. The Environmental Policy Lab (EPL) of ETH Zurich is evaluating these SSIs and developing a field experiment (RCT) in partnership with cocoa companies. The experiment will test a performance payment (PES) policy covering upfront costs and activities aimed at leveraging community institutions and norms to motivate agroforestry adoption.

The ETH4D Research to Action Grant enabled farmer consultations and co-design workshops in six villages and two towns, involving 194 stakeholders, including local government, companies, and certification bodies, in collaboration with Ivorian University Felix Houphouet-Boigny. Activities like Forum Theaters, Participatory Mapping, and Walking Interviews captured social norms, farm practices, and potential interventions.

Key findings indicate that SSIs promote agroforestry among targeted participants but have limited village-scale impact, highlighting the need for inclusive, equity-focused approaches. The research emphasized the importance of sensitization training, needs assessments, and follow-ups for successful agroforestry SSIs. The findings are being used to co-design sustainable supply chains with cocoa companies, addressing agroforestry, deforestation, and related socio-economic issues.

Proect lead: Dr. Federico Cammelli, Sustainable Agroecosystems

The goal of the project was to test the breathe ventilator, developed at ETH, in South Africa's low-resource settings. The project oganised a certified training course in advanced airway management for staff members at a rural hospital. Hands-on simulations underscored the importance of teamwork and continuous training. The team found that medical devices are often broken or unused due to complexity. The simple, easy-to-use ventilator prototype was well-received, highlighting the need for straightforward, maintainable devices. The ventilator's robustness and ease of use were proven in rigorous conditions. Key insights included the necessity for integrated training and maintenance systems. Collaborations with local doctors and healthcare companies were established. Future plans involve refining the ventilator based on field feedback, evaluating simulation-based training impact, and exploring a sustainable social enterprise.

Project lead: external page Dr. Leonie Korn, breathe medical AG (ETH Spin-off)

external page Breathe Medical

The global demand for protein is projected to rise significantly by 2050, necessitating sustainable sources. Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae can efficiently convert organic waste into protein-rich feed, offering a solution. The project developed an innovative breeding method for BSF. Traditional tray systems are labor-intensive and costly, especially for low-income countries. The project proposes a barrel-based breeding facility, including sensors to monitor optimal conditions, enabling higher density production with reduced space and labor requirements.
Initial results demonstrate that vertical BSF breeding is feasible, providing a novel, space-saving method for waste conversion into protein. This can enhance protein supply, particularly in the global south. However, further work is needed for market maturity.

Project lead: Nicole Barth, Agricultural Economics and Policy

Project Page: external page SmartBreed

To reach safe sanitation is particularly challenging in urban areas of low-income countries, where conventional sewer-based solutions are often not viable. Although many new options such as container-based solutions or decentralized solutions have been developed, their implementation remains a challenge as engineering consultants lack methods and tools to systematically consider them when developing planning options. Together with colleagues from Arba Minch University (AMU) in Ethiopia, researchers of Eawag have therefore developed a web tool that enables WASH engineers to choose appropriate and sustainable solutions for different settings. ETH4D supports the project to train students and staff of AMU as well as other stakeholders from the sanitation sector in Ethiopia to use and further disseminate the tool.

Project Lead: external page Dorothee Spuhler (Eawag)

The project led by ETH Zurich in collaboration with the University of Lomé and NGOs Happy Togo and Étoile Verte, aimed to address zero hunger and poverty in southern Togo through a transdisciplinary approach. The project developed a strategic role-playing game to understand smallholder farmers’ perspectives, involving local partners in training and application phases over 14 days. Initial training spanned two days, equipping local partners to facilitate game sessions that encouraged dialogue and creative thinking. Subsequently, 12 game sessions were conducted with farmers from two neighboring villages, moderated in Ewe by local partners while the ETH team collected and documented data. Key outcomes include the provision of the game to local partners, the creation of a promotional video, and the preparation of a scientific article. The initiative directly benefited local partners through hands-on practice and indirectly benefited 60 farmers who provided insights to tailor future interventions. Results were presented to local communities and village chiefs. Local partners will continue the work, potentially scaling the game to other regions and fostering further development of sustainable agricultural practices.

Project lead: Dr. Ivan Novotny, Ecosystems Management

As lower-income countries continue to experience urban growth, the amount of construction and demolition waste (CDW) generated is exponentially increasing. Studies show that 60% of materials and components from most existing buildings can be effectively reclaimed. India’s slum of Dharavi in Mumbai is known for its reuse and recycling businesses, which are currently run locally and do not involve government registration or legal authorization. India’s first CDW management regulation was passed in 2016 which outlined measures to be taken by contractors, recycling facilities, waste generators and state governments but failed to mention the informal sector who are key agents responsible for managing waste. A comprehensive framework to bridge the gap between the informal and formal construction market in India is required.

Lower-income communities in India are quickly adapting to digitalization and this digital boom can be leveraged to increase formalisation and technology adoption by the informal sector. ETH4D supports the project to understand the potential of a digitalized material exchange platform for building material and component reuse that may help empower the workers in not only resource dimensions but to help achieve increased social and economic inclusion.

Project lead: Deepika Raghu, Circular Engineering for Architecture

2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lack of mechanical ventilators in low-resource settings was empathically uncovered. Noticeable reasons for this absence of ventilators are their costs, which lie between $5,000 and $25,000, the lack of service capacity and maintainability, and the shortage of staff trained for high-tech products developed for high-resource environments. The breathe project aims to overcome these obstacles by developing a low-cost ventilator specifically tailored to low-resource settings. The ventilator is designed to be intuitive to use, robust, and easy to maintain, while ensuring ventilatory functionality according to regulatory standards. The is to use standard components and provide sufficient functionality while minimizing the complexity of the device. The ETH4D Research to Action Grant enabled the project to conduct a field study at a rural hospital in the Mpumalanga province in South Africa to validate the design and test hypotheses on the environmental and cultural context of the ventilator use.

Projct Lead: external page Leonie Korn

Project Page: external page Breathe Project