Navigation auf uzh.ch
Navigation auf uzh.ch
While for some destinations flying is the only alternative, many destinations, especially within Europe, can also be reached by train or bus. Even beyond that, trains and buses are sensible alternatives in many cases. If, on the other hand, the longer travel times mean unacceptable situations, for example regarding the compatibility of work and family or due to individual restrictions that make long journeys in public transport difficult, this and thus the recourse to flying can also be justified in the form. We would also like to refer you to thefactsheets of the sustainability team.
Flights will only be funded in well-justified cases, and for all trips less than 10 hours of travel, travel by train is mandatory. If intercontinental travel is indispensable for an activity, it must be well justified in the application. The key factor in making a positive funding decision is whether the activity itself or in conjunction with other activities offsets the increased resource use by maximizing academic benefits. Carbon offsetting cannot be used to internally enhance an activity's sustainability record.
The UZH sustainability team records the business travel of UZH employees and the CO2 emissions caused by this travel. For this purpose, travel funded by a GRC Travel Grant will also be recorded as of the fall 2020 funding period. You are asked to indicate the planned means of travel when submitting your application. Together with the final report, you will then submit the details of the trip taken.
Members of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are required to record their air travel via the Climate Smart Tool as of spring 2023. The resulting charges for CO2 emissions are mandatory and apply to GRC Travel Grant funding. No additional funds are available for these charges.
Particularly in the case of destinations that can only be reached by air in a reasonable amount of time, the question of how to organize the trip efficiently arises. If, for example, several stays or destinations can be meaningfully combined into one trip (or round trip), this increases its efficiency and improves the sustainability of a long journey. In principle, for further trips, for example, intercontinental trips, a longer and sensibly used length of stay can justify a longer journey. In addition, direct flights cause lower CO2 emissions than flights with stopovers and transfers.
Longer stays can be used to combine several purposes. For example, participation in a summer school can also be combined with a guest stay at a nearby institute or department, or archival research can be complemented by contacting local research networks and exchanging ideas with researchers on-site. Prudent program planning in this way increases the efficiency of the trip undertaken.
Social aspects of your travel and length of stay are also critical to meaningful travel planning. Especially for trips related to field research and archival work, important research ethics and socio-political questions arise regarding relevant interactions with local people and institutions, as well as the extraction and use of content and data. Careful consideration of the social context of your destination can not only contribute significantly to the success of your activity but is also an evaluation criterion for GRC award decisions. For further consideration, please refer to the GRC sustainability guidelines on our website.
Academic project and career planning issues should also be incorporated into your travel arrangements. Make sure that the GRC Travel Grant is the appropriate funding instrument for your activity. It is advantageous to include information in your application about how the chosen timing of the travel is optimal for your ongoing research project. Please also include considerations of your academic career plan and how the location and timing of the travel fit into it. Again, please refer to the GRC sustainability guidelines on our website for more detail.
