Research in the FOPH

Research provides the FOPH with knowledge that is useful for guiding its decisions and practices and which it needs to fulfil its tasks.

Research provides the FOPH with the necessary knowledge for guiding its decisions and practices. It is conducted primarily in the form of federal policy research (federal government research).

Federal policy research in the FOPH
Research priorities in the policy area of health 2025-2028
The ARAMIS Information System

Federal policy research in the FOPH

In addition to monitoring and evaluation, federal policy research in the FOPH is aimed at providing knowledge to be used in policy and strategy development and also in the implementation of measures in the field of health.

The diagram depicts the following: evaluation and federal policy research (including monitoring) provide the necessary knowledge for the development of policies and strategies and their implementation.

A sound knowledge base is to be created for the provision of optimum healthcare and preventive healthcare for the population at an affordable cost.
In the FOPH, federal policy research is focused on issues relating to the health protection of the population, to prevention and health promotion and to the provision of healthcare. Federal policy research in the FOPH primarily involves commissioned research and contributions to third parties. The research is practically oriented and generally interdisciplinary in nature.

Research priorities in the policy area of health 2025-2028

The priorities for research in the policy area of health until 2028 are as follows:

federal policy research, in particular in the areas of communicable and non-communicable diseases, food safety, addiction and biomedicine as well as healthcare and health technology assessment.
Strengthening the ‘One Health’ approach, which is based on the understanding that human, animal and environmental health are closely interlinked
Federal Council review mandate for a national health (cohort) study
Health services research: Switzerland's participation in the European partnership ‘Transforming Health and Care Systems (THCS)’ as part of ‘Horizon Europe’
National research programmes, in particular NRP 83 ‘Gender Medicine and Health’
Consideration of direct or indirect transversal topics such as sustainable development, digitalisation, equal opportunities and national and international cooperation
Efforts to promote long-term research in the field of vaccines

The ARAMIS Information System

The ARAMIS information system contains information on research, development and evaluation projects in the Swiss Federal Administration. The Swiss government and parliament intend this system to provide interested parties with information on the research work conducted, commissioned or co-financed by the Confederation, and to improve coordination of the federal policy research and create transparency.