- Funder: AXA Foundation for Human Progress
- Grant: up to €140,000 over 2 years
- Commitment: full-time for the 2 years (max. 20% teaching)
- For: early-career researchers, max. 5 years after PhD
- USI quota: 1 candidate only – do not apply directly

Responsible Nature-Based Solutions for a Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Future
- Well-designed, fairly governed nature-based solutions (NbS)
- Grounded in local contexts, not "greening" or greenwashing
- Local, regional or global scale

- Disaster risk reduction, adaptation and human security (wetlands, forests, urban green)
- Food and water security under climate stress
- Urban transformation and green/blue infrastructure, without green gentrification

- Health, well-being and cultural dimensions of NbS
- Economic models, financing and evaluation of NbS
- Governance, social justice, community and Indigenous rights

At least one of:
- Disciplines: social sciences, humanities or economics + natural sciences, engineering or technology
- Societal actors: public authorities, communities, civil society, practitioners
For-profit companies cannot be partners. Host must be USI.

- PhD defended within the 5 years before 10 October 2026 (+6 months per child for parental leave)
- No tenured or tenure-track position (tenure-track assistant professors excluded)
- Outstanding track record in outputs, activities and impact

- Full-time, independent project for the whole 2 years (max. 20% teaching)
- Salary already covered by a personal grant (e.g. SNSF Ambizione, Postdoc.Mobility, Return CH)
The two cannot run in parallel: contact us first.

- Covers salary, resources, conferences, fieldwork, outreach. No overheads
- About €70,000/year does not cover a full USI postdoc salary: the host professor must guarantee the rest (host contribution)
- No double funding of the same costs.

Only one EoI per institution: more disqualify all. Do not apply directly to AXA.
1. Send one PDF to servizio.ricerca@usi.ch by 5 November 2026 with a CV (max. 2 pages): birth date, PhD defence date, current position and funding, USI host professor.

2. Support letter from the USI host professor, confirming the salary gap is covered for 2 years and naming the source
3. Project title and description (max. 3,000 characters): question, call area, transdisciplinary approach, partners and roles, expected outcomes

USI selects on scientific excellence, fit with the call, strength of transdisciplinarity and career stage. The Research Service finalises and submits the EoI with the nominated candidate.

- 5 November 2026: USI internal deadline
- 9 November 2026: candidates informed of the outcome
- 12 November 2026, 16:00 CET: EoI submitted by USI
- 24 November – 17 December 2026: full application (shortlisted candidates only)
- 30 March – 5 April 2027: rebuttal
- June 2027: results