The fifth Project Call once again exceeded expectations, with another increase in the quantity and quality of applications. The large number of submissions demonstrates the dynamic and success of the innovation program and underscores the considerable interest in interdisciplinary research in the field of digital transformation. The DIZH committees have therefore decided to fund 12 of the 90 projects submitted, more than originally planned. The funded projects are characterized by their innovative strength, social relevance, and strong practical relevance. They range from intensive care units to classrooms to forensic institutes, from ancient inscriptions to deepfake voices.
The decision to support more projects than planned requires an adjustment to the distribution of funds. The funding amounts requested for the projects will be reduced by a flat rate of 15%, and the sixth Project Call will be cancelled. In the sixth Project Call, the total funding amount available would only have allowed for the funding of a few projects with shorter durations. The consolidation now being undertaken will enable universities to make the best possible use of the available resources. With four calls still pending, the DIZH is entering the final phase of the innovation program.
The projects are carried out by interdisciplinary teams from all four DIZH universities, combining research and practice. The projects use various technologies and methodological approaches: Artificial intelligence digitizes handwritten childhood vaccination records, eye tracking analyzes reading processes, speech recognition detects symptoms of dementia, multi-agent systems process complex patient data, Bayesian networks enable early detection of confusion, and brain signals help distinguish artificial voices from real ones. The fields of application range from health and education to security and culture: families are supported in intensive care units, children with ADHD benefit from more accurate diagnostics, digital learning assistants promote educational equity, young people are guided in their use of social media, law enforcement agencies are given tools to investigate telephone fraud, and the public is given access to ancient inscriptions and their history.
Cultural mediation: experiencing antiquity
“Vox Lapidum” expands the Latin epigraphy database EDCS with automatic annotations and links these to images, 3D scans, and metadata. A dialogical interface makes the history of over 500,000 inscriptions and the people behind them accessible for research, education, and the general public.
Health and medical diagnostics
“ADAPT” is developing a child-friendly ADHD diagnostic tool that integrates brain signals, movement data, and performance data into neuropsychological tests. The multidimensional patient profiles enable predictions to be made about the most suitable treatment for each individual.
“DiSpLA” will be the first app for automatic speech recognition and speech analysis for clinical use in Swiss German. It records speech changes in people with dementia and children with speech disorders and reduces the cost and time required for diagnoses and follow-up checks.
“Digital Transformation of Handwritten Child Vaccination Cards to Support Immunization Practice & Surveillance in Switzerland” is developing an AI pipeline that digitizes handwritten children’s vaccination cards into standard-compliant data. The system supports clinical workflows and enables nationwide vaccination control.
Intensive care: Support in critical situations
“eFICUS” offers families of seriously ill patients personalized access to psychoeducational services and emotional support. The intervention complements family-oriented care provided by nurses and doctors in the intensive care unit.
“MERLIN” is developing a multi-agent system for real-time medical decisions in intensive care. It processes large amounts of multimodal patient data, reduces cognitive load, and improves workflow efficiency.
“Delirium DynamiX” combines intensive care unit data with local language models and Bayesian networks. Modeling dynamic causal chains enables earlier detection of delirium.
Education: Digital tools to support learners
“LitAI” combines eye tracking and AI to promote reading. The LitBot reading tutor analyzes students’ eye movements and responses and provides adaptive support for text comprehension. This understanding is then deepened and reflected upon in class.
“Chat4All” is developing a digital assistant that promotes educational equity. The system recognizes patterns in learning behavior and offers adaptive support. Learning processes are thus specifically accompanied and strengthened.
Social media: Support for young people
The project “Adolescents coping with negative emotions induced by social media” examines the emotional impact of social media on young people and develops support strategies. Together with young people and Pro Juventute, a social media campaign, materials for educators, and a smartphone intervention are being developed.
Security: Protection against fraud and crime
“SAGE” develops computer-based voiceprints for forensic analysis of extensive audio data from telecommunications, particularly in the context of telephone fraud. The system supports Zurich law enforcement agencies such as the Zurich Forensic Institute and the Zurich Public Prosecutor’s Office in determining the number of speakers and speaker segmentation (who speaks when).
“Fake or real? Exploring brain signals for deepfake voice detection” investigates whether brain signals can unconsciously distinguish between real and artificial voices. Neural measurement data is combined with AI methods to develop detection systems that also work with new generators and low-resource languages such as Swiss German.
The projects are financially supported by the DIZH special loan, which, after reduction of the funding contributions, amounts to up to CHF 255,000 per project. In addition, the universities contribute equally to the financing through matching funds. The projects have a duration of up to three years.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to everyone who submitted applications, to the external reviewers, and to the dedicated committees for their valuable work in the evaluation process.
Outlook
The following calls will be announced in the innovation program by 2027:
- 3rd Founder Call
- 3rd Outreach Call
- 5th and 6th Rapid Action Call
Detailed information on all calls for proposals can be found here.
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