General conditions
Interface is a fund to support research partnerships. It aims to encourage research projects between external partners and students, researchers or members of UNIL departments. Research carried out under Interface must meet the following requirements in order to be supported:
1. Responding to a need in the field
Research projects carried out and supported by Interface must respond to a need in the field. The initiative for the research may come from a member of the academic community, but the research must take account of the needs or concerns of the players in the field (non-academic partner).
2. Co-direction of the collaborative research project
Each research project must be co-directed by a student or researcher (depending on funding instruments), and a field partner (non-academic, i.e. a person who is generally not a UNIL graduate or collaborator). In this way, academic expertise is combined with field experience and expertise - professional or otherwise - without creating epistemic hierarchies within the projects.
3. Non-exclusively academic deliverables
The deliverables of Interface research projects must be in non-academic formats, i.e. in forms other than articles, books or scientific publications. These deliverables may take the form of a concise report, leaflets, an exhibition, a public presentation (seminar, conference, training course, etc.), or some other form of valorization (support for public policy, strengthening of advocacy, etc.), defined by the partners and, if necessary, the researchers, at the start of the project.
4. Medium-term results and identified impact
The results of the research must be exploitable in the medium term (12-18 months on average). In this way, the partners can obtain answers to their needs or concerns, which will enable them to plan various measures or evaluate the project's impact in their field of activity. The transformation brought about by collaboration must be measurable.
5. Project follow-up
Funding for Interface projects is conditional on the principal applicants (see section E of this document) taking part in three Labs during the course of their project, depending on its stage of progress (launch - follow-up - closure).
To address specific concerns or problems, principal applicants may meet individually with the Interface support team. These meetings do not dispense with participation in three Labs meetings.
6. Final report and project evaluation
At the end of the research project, principal applicants must produce a short scientific and financial report, the outline of which is provided by Interface. They are also required to participate in the evaluation and satisfaction process carried out at the end of the project.
