A risk resilience partnership: Fostering research on systemic risk

Expired family-office · Found: 2026-03-11 08:11

The new Partnership will support top-tier risk research on systemic risks that pose the most serious threats to societal resilience.

Source: https://www.swissre.com/institute/partnerships/joint-risk-resilience-initiative.html

Funding Details

Funder

Swiss Re Institute & AXA Research Fund

Funding Goal

Fund independent academic research on systemic risks that pose the most serious threats to societal resilience, improving risk management and informing decision-making across public and private sectors.

Funding Amount

Up to €150,000 per project (up to 150.000 €)

Deadline

2026-02-18 (Fixed)

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the ESF SmartSimple portal (esf.smartsimple.ie). Each call has a defined submission window. The third call (metabolic health & longevity) was open from November 24, 2025 to February 18, 2026. Content questions can be directed to research_partnership@swissre.com or axaresearchfund@axa.com, and technical support to esf-panels@esf.org.

Target Region

Global

Contact

Content questions: research_partnership@swissre.com or axaresearchfund@axa.com | Technical support: esf-panels@esf.org | Partnership Lead: Therese Anthony, Head Partnerships & Advisors, Swiss Re Institute

Last Checked

2026-03-11 19:34

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be an academic institution (universities, research institutes)
• NGOs, private companies, and governmental bodies cannot be primary beneficiaries — only collaborators

Project Scope

• Research proposal must align with the specific thematic call topic

Required Documents

• Application must be submitted via the ESF SmartSimple portal before the call deadline

Constraints

• Project duration must be 9-18 months
• Budget must not exceed €150,000 per project

Summary

The Joint Risk Resilience Initiative is a multi-year partnership between Swiss Re Institute and the AXA Research Fund, running from November 2023 through December 2026. It funds top-tier independent research on systemic risks through successive thematic calls. Each call focuses on a different systemic risk topic, with grants of up to €150,000 per project for research durations of 9-18 months. Only academic institutions worldwide are eligible as primary funding recipients, though they may collaborate with NGOs, public sector organizations, private companies, and independent research centers. The partnership has issued three calls so far: the first on systemic cyber risks, the second on disaster preparedness and post-catastrophe reconstruction, and the third on metabolic health and longevity. Applications are submitted through the ESF SmartSimple portal. The initiative is managed jointly by Swiss Re Institute and the AXA Research Fund, with the European Science Foundation (ESF) providing the application platform. The partnership aims to bridge the gap between academic research and practical risk management, producing insights useful for both public policy and private sector decision-making.

Historical Context

The partnership launched November 30, 2023 and runs through December 31, 2026. Three thematic calls have been issued: (1) systemic cyber risks — two projects funded at €150,000 each (Fudan University and ZHAW); (2) disaster preparedness and reconstruction (deadline January 31, 2025); (3) metabolic health and longevity (deadline February 18, 2026). Future calls within the partnership period are possible.

Sources

• https://www.swissre.com/institute/partnerships/joint-risk-resilience-initiative.html

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