Application and evaluation process - Living Lab Fund
Here you can find more information about the application process, evaluation criteria, and recommendations for the Living Lab Fund.
Application process
- Applicants must submit their applications via the submission platform by the specified deadlines. Prior consultation is possible; please contact sustainable@zhaw.ch.
- Following the application deadline, ZHAW sustainable will conduct a formal pre-selection of the applications received.
- The Sustainable Impact Program Board will evaluate the submissions according to the criteria listed below. The Living Lab Fund projects will also be evaluated by the Living Lab Advisory Board.
- Applicants will be informed of the Board's decision by ZHAW sustainable. Funded projects will receive all administrative details regarding the funding.
- If you have any further questions about the application process, please contact sustainable@zhaw.ch.
Evaluation criteria
- Impact on sustainable development: Your Living Lab project makes an effective contribution to sustainable development, with a clear link to thematically related Sustainable Development Goals and a holistic view of the social, ecological and economic dimensions. It is anchored at the ZHAW - through implementation on campus, in the region or a proven link to the university. The Living Lab Fund focuses on impact both in terms of the core theme (co-creative solution development) and the establishment of networks and competencies within and outside the ZHAW.
- Projektdesign: The special features of Living Labs are primarily characterised by the following four core characteristics, which should be taken into account in your project design:
Real-Life-Setting
Living Labs are closely linked to everyday life and practice – they operate in real environments rather than artificial laboratory situations.
Diversity of stakeholders
Living Labs rely on the diversity of their participants. Inclusive co-creation requires the involvement of a wide variety of participants in different roles from different fields (e.g. science, business, administration, civil society).
Focus on co-creation
Solutions are developed jointly with stakeholders. For Living Labs within the Sustainable Impact Program, an appropriate, high level of participation should be aimed for (‘co-create’ rather than ‘inform’).
Focus on joint learning processes:
The focus is on a learning-oriented process in which new solutions are tested and further developed in the form of prototypes, experiments and pilot projects. Learning processes should be promoted for all stakeholders involved (not only for those scientifically involved).
- Interdisciplinarity: Living Labs promote collaboration between different scientific disciplines and roles within the university. Living Labs within the Sustainable Impact Program must involve at least two departments of the ZHAW.
- Interface between teaching and research: Within the Sustainable Impact Program, Living Labs operate at the interface between teaching and research. It is essential that the scientific knowledge gained from Living Labs is incorporated into teaching. This can be done either directly (students participate directly, i.e. the Living Lab is part of experimental teaching at the ZHAW) or indirectly (e.g. the Living Lab generates content for teaching modules at the ZHAW).
- Dissemination: Broad visibility in society and academia is essential. Living Labs within the Sustainable Impact Program are designed to jointly produce and transfer knowledge, raise awareness and stimulate development processes as inspiring learning spaces. The dissemination approaches take into account the diversity of the stakeholders involved and use various formats and channels. It is not only where communication takes place that is decisive, but also how: in accessible language that enables exchange and participation.
- Feasibility and risk management: The resources deployed should be proportionate to the objectives and scope of the Living Lab: the project must be fundamentally feasible. However, as an experimental space, the Living Lab may also involve uncertainties. Therefore, it is important to have a responsible and forward-looking approach to potential risks. These risks should be reflected upon together with the participants and suitable mechanisms for mitigation should be developed as part of a transparent, learning-oriented process.
Prerequisites
- The project management is employed by the ZHAW. This means that in the event of a change in management, the role of project manager must be transferable to a permanent employee at the ZHAW.
- The departmental budget contribution amounts to 20 percent of the total amount requested from the Living Lab Fund. (Example: If the Living Lab Fund funding amounts to 100k, the departments must contribute an additional 20% (in this case 20k), resulting in a total project budget of 120k).
- Living Labs within the Sustainable Impact Program must involve at least two departments of the ZHAW.
- As part of your Living Lab Fund project, you are also automatically affiliated with the ZKSD, where you are expected to engage with the network and carry out 2–3 activities (meetings, events, workshops, etc.). This allows to make the project more visible and to promote exchange about Living Lab projects between the universities in the Canton of Zurich.
Recommendations
The following points are not mandatory, but are recognised as advantageous in the evaluation process:
- Long-term perspective: The impact of the Living Lab project is designed to continue long after the project has ended.
- Living Labs offer great potential for promoting inclusion and diversity of perspectives. The Board from Sustainable Impact Program welcomes this potential being exploited and your Living Lab project being set up in such a way that it also offers access to people who are underrepresented in scientific circles. Consider, for example, opportunities for people without an academic background to participate in the design process or for social representation in the respective Living Lab context.