© ICRC/Benjamin Mast, 09.04.2020, Caption: Roraima, Boa Vista. In an effort to fight COVID-19, ICRC distributed hydrated ethyl alcohol and more than 18,000 pairs of gloves for medical procedures aimed at ensuring the proper hygiene of the Field Hospital and the safety of the health professionals., Reference: V-P-BR-E-00410

Apply for a Humanitarian Action Challenges (HAC) research grant

Against the backdrop of rising numbers of displaced people due to conflict, insecurity and extreme climate events, as well as the vanishing respect for International Humanitarian Law, the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations are immense and increasingly complex.

To foster new solutions, EPFL and ETH Zurich have joined forces with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other humanitarian organizations and launched the sixth call of the Science and Technology for Humanitarian Action Challenges (HAC). The aim is to develop effective and innovative solutions enhancing the impact of humanitarian action.

If you want to learn more about past and current HAC projects, click here.

Eligibility Criteria

The team must consist of at least one main applicant from ETH who holds a PhD and/or who is a professor, and at least one partner from a humanitarian organization (eligible organisations are listed here).

In addition, it is encouraged (but not mandatory) to have one partner from a low or lower-middle income country and/or from a conflict-affected country, a partner from EPFL/ETHZ (which allows for a parallel submission at EPFL/ETHZ) or a partner from another humanitarian organisation. Partners from the rest of the ETH Domain (PSI, WSL, Empa, and Eawag) are welcome to join as co-applicants.

Funding and Duration

Projects of 6 to 24 months can secure CHF 50,000 to CHF 300,000. Applicants contribute at least 25% of the requested funding as matching funds.

Apply Now

The sixth call for applications is open from 15 December 2025 – 05 March 2026.

If you are an EPFL researcher, please follow this link to apply, if you are an ETH Zurich researcher, please follow this link.

FAQs

How do we, as EPFL researchers, get in contact with ETH researchers and/or humanitarian practitioners to work on a proposal?

How do we, as ETH researchers, get in contact with EPFL researchers and/or humanitarian practitioners to work on a proposal?

How can I initiate the process/conversation if I am working at ICRC or another humanitarian organisation?

  • You can directly contact the EHA coordination team at ICRC- Fabrice Lauper to discuss your idea and they will put you in contact with the relevant lab.

Our project is quite similar to another (past/current) HAC project. Can we still apply?

  • Yes, there no limitation in terms of number of research project on specific topics. A new research project should ideally build on the outcomes of previous research (HAC or not). A limitation might however be the availability of ICRC subject matter experts to get involved on several projects. This needs to be discussed with the ICRC.

How involved are the humanitarian partners? Does a letter of support suffice or do they actively participate in the research project?

  • Formally research projects need a letter of support from the ICRC to be eligible. It is however highly recommended to involve them both in the project design and in the research implementation. This will increase the likelihood of the projet to have a good buy in by humanitarians and to have humanitarian impact. In order to increase the active involvement of ICRC staff, an amount of max CHF 30’000 can be be integrated in the project to support ICRC.

Could we apply with a research project based in/targeted at Switzerland?

  • As the mandate of the ICRC is related with the protection and assistance of victims of armed conflicts, it is not very likely that the ICRC would be willing to get involved in a project in Switzerland.

Can a project partner also act as a consultant?

  • No, if you are a partner in the project, you cannot act as a consultant at the same time.

Who can handle subcontracting within the project?

  • Subcontracting can be done by the main applicant, co-applicants, or partners. However, if a partner handles subcontracting, it must be included within their maximum 80k CHF maximum budget.

Who should handle subcontracting in this case?

  • The subcontracting should be carried out by the ETH/EPFL lab rather than the humanitarian partner.