Seed Grant Projects 2020
Table of contents
Let's talk about it! But how?
On the verbalisation of mental illness experience
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Talking about the experience of mental illness can help the recovery process. Societal taboos, stigma, feelings of sadness and shame, and the unfamiliarity of the experience however mean that talking about mental illness is often a challenging task. This research project seeks to explore from linguistic, psychiatric and experienced perspectives how it can succeed nevertheless. Which communicative strategies are helpful for conversations with relatives, employers and friends? |
To this purpose, we gather conversations on mental illness in different contexts and analyse them with a variety of mainly qualitative (content- and conversation analysis) methods. Thereby, we seek to identify communicative resources that enable us to share experiences of mental illness and to put them into words.
For further information and participation, please contact Dr. med. Anke Maatz, anke.maatz@puk.zh.ch
Remains of extinct aquatic insect communities
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Water bodies are among the most severely impaired habitats in Switzerland. In order to define effective nature conservation measures, a water body typology based on biological criteria is urgently needed. However, a major problem in creating such typologies is the lack of historical distribution data of aquatic organisms that would allow an interpretation of the current status. This is aggravated by the fact that knowledge about aquatic insects is hardly ever taught at universities and is only practiced by senior people outside the universities. |
The present project therefore has two goals: Firstly, the extensive (approx. 20'000 insects) and hardly researched historical collections of aquatic insects of the ETH Zurich are to be correctly identified, digitized and analyzed. This should create a unique database for concrete conservation measures and for the development of evaluation methods. Secondly, experienced specialists are to introduce young public scientists to the identification of insects, so that a new generation of experts is trained for future conservation projects and research work in aquatic environments.
The present project will provide insights into the composition of extinct aquatic insect communities and provide clues as to where remains of the former populations can still be found today. At the same time, the collected data will be available to international researchers who will model the distribution of dragonflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and mayflies over many decades and analyze the underlying parameters. These sites can then be specifically supported by conservationists and integrated into the planning process.
For further information and participation, please Dr. Michael Greeff, michael.greeff@usys.ethz.ch, ETH Entomological Collection.
With us about us.
Patient narratives as co-production - a contribution to research on participation.
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The pilot project "Patient Narratives as Co-production" researches participatory research. |
“Patient Narratives as Co-production" examines how the potential of the DIPEx research and mediation process can be expanded and improved through a higher degree of participation by participants and affected users.
- How can participation by the target group be rethought and expanded?
- What new perspectives on the potentials of participation in qualitative research processes are revealed by this?
- How can these findings be used for digital communication and dissemination of research results and impact health literacy?
The metaperspective on participation can highlight and address a gap in the dialogue between researchers, citizens and mediation experts.
Project partner is the Swiss project DIPEx.ch of the Institute for Biomedical Ethics IBME.
For further information, please contact Karin Seiler, ZHdK, karin.seiler@zhdk.ch
Stories that are still missing
An ethnography on participatory research in a region
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How is a region represented in public? Which stories have not been told in publications, exhibitions and on websites? In the project carried out with the Museum Vitznau-Rigi we ask people from the communes of Greppen, Vitznau and Weggis, which stories are missing from their point of view, and we invite this persons to participate in the presentation of the region with stories, pictures and objects. By doing the participatory field research we also want to gain insights into the possibilities and difficulties of participatory research as well as into the potential of this research approach in a region. For further information, please contact Cornelia Renggli, University of Zurich, cornelia.renggli@uzh.ch |
Piece of evidence: Underpants
A Citizen Science Project to study soil life
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Soil enables human life on earth, as it is crucial to almost every aspect of life on land. However, little is known about the creatures that live and thrive in it. This joint venture of the University of Zurich and the Swiss federal research institute Agroscope aims at investigating soil life together with private gardeners, farmers and other interested citizens with the help of underpants. Underpants? That’s right: underpants. |
Photographs and background information are uploaded to an online platform and made visible on an interactive map. In addition, simple do-it-yourself tests are presented, so participants can examine and understand soils on their own.
Underpants and a soil samples are sent to the Agroscope-Lab, where, the grade of decomposition of the underpants will be determined and the soil sample be analysed for soil biodiversity, biological activity and soil quality. Interested citizens will also be involved in this analytical process.
The aim of the project is to shine a spotlight on the essential but rather unknown and fascinating universe below our feet. The public will get the opportunity to experience that soil is more than a surface to walk on, more than dirt sticking to our white sneakers and more than substrate to pot our plants into.
Soils accommodate billions of bacteria, fungi, insects, worms and other creatures. Their abundance and activity are central features of healthy soils. The more diverse the soil community, the better the soil can function. For soils, functioning means to be able to produce food and raw materials, filter water and protect against natural hazards.
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With this project, we will get an overview of the biological activity in Swiss soils and find out under which conditions soil organisms thrive. However, we do not only wish to collect and evaluate data, we also want to give back and provide the participants with tools and knowledge to enable them to independently observe their soils in the future. A picture book created as part of the project introduces the key players in soil life and provides interesting background information.
Through the project "Beweisstück Unterhose" (Piece of evidence: Underpants), an indicator for soil life activity will be developed together with the Swiss population, thus making the topic of soil quality and soil biodiversity tangible.
Project start: Spring 2021
More Information and registration on www.beweisstueck-unterhose.ch (DE/FR)
Bullinger digital
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As part of the "Bullinger digital" digitization project on the correspondence of Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575), a correction campaign was launched as a Citizen Science project. For further information, please contact Patricia Scheurer, University of Zurich, patricia.scheurer@uzh.ch. |
Green areas in Zurich
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Green areas are an important issue in the context of adaptation to climate change. City dwellers are particularly affected by the "heat island effect": Urban heat islands affect health and cause rising costs. Today, urban planning has several adaptation strategies at its disposal, such as green planning (e.g. trees, green roofs, façade greening), measures to change local wind conditions, alternative building materials, water dispensers, etc. Sensors and data acquisition help to analyse the effectiveness of measures. |
Our participatory approach is based on focus groups. All interested persons are invited to participate in this process. In a relatively short time we can gain valuable information about experiences, implementation and planning of greening projects via target groups.
Contact: Eliane Suter, zuericooldown@su-pa.net, https://zuericooldown.ch
AP5: App’Ailes d’Air
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What is App’Ailes d’Air? |
For whom is the data useful?
• Scientists in the fields of atmosphere and climate, such as our partners at ETH Zürich and CNRS Orléans.
• Institutes involved in environmental concerns.
• Politically engaged citizens in contexts of environmental and land development decisions.
• Potentially, the organisations in charge of traffic and pollution regulation.
• Paraglider pilots as they will have access to their own flight and to global analysis (e.g.: average wind speed in a region, etc.).
For what is the data useful?
• To better understand the phenomena of aerosols and pollution transport in the atmosphere, particularly how they reach higher altitudes, and the influence of the topography.
• To study the influence of the surrounding environment on pollution in cities.
• To spot increased pollution or pollen events and alert the relevant organisations (e.g. traffic control, agriculture, etc.).
• To study the arrival and evolution of concentrated aerosols events which originate thousands of kilometres away (e.g. desert storm, volcanic eruption, etc.).
How to participate?
• As a paraglider pilot: help us collect data.
• As citizen: help us collect plastic.
• As a scientist: join the collaboration, help us analyse the data or expand to new regions.
• “I want to build my own sensor!” No problem! Being open-source, all the documentation will soon be available (after the prototyping phase).
• “I love your project and would like to sponsor it with my company” We are always looking for new partnerships opportunities and are open to discuss collaborations.
• As a cyclist: keep an eye on the project, we also plan to equip bikes with our instruments in the future!
For further information and participation, please contact contact@appailesdair.com
Digital health literacy in the Young
Participatory action research on opportunities, risks and new ways of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic
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Digitalization has complex effects on the psyche and body of young people. The same technologies can a negative impact, such as addiction and lack of exercise, but also positive aspects such as networking, achievement of new competencies or early detection of diseases. How can digital health literacy in the young be promoted in a timely and sustainable manner, especially taking into account the COVID-19 pandemic? |
Based on participatory action research we aim for creating an online platform together with the young to collect findings and knowledge gained during the process. Finally, the online platform could inform and support schools and general pediatric check-ups during adolescence.