Eligible projects are student, teaching and research projects in the field of sustainable development that support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, the 17 SDGs or the ZHAW's Sustainability Strategy. The project must relate to at least one of the three dimensions of sustainable development: Environment, Society or Economy. 

The following applies to research projects: As a rule, independent projects are given priority over preliminary projects in preparation for other project applications or participation in larger projects. 

Direct cooperation between staff and students is also possible, e.g. in the further continuation of a student research project or a thesis.  

Funding can also be requested for projects that have already started, provided that the added value in the area of sustainable development created by SIP funding is clearly indicated in the application. 

SIP projects can also benefit from cooperation with the Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development (ZKSD), a research-oriented cooperation platform for sustainable development between the cantonal universities of Zurich. The ZKSD offers a networking venue for inter- and transdisciplinary networking and exchange as well as coworking spaces. For further information, please contact sustainable@zhaw.ch. 

1. Project coordinators submit their applications via the submission platform by the communicated deadlines. Consultation is possible in advance; please contact sustainable@zhaw.ch. 
2. After the submission deadline, ZHAW sustainable carries out a formal pre-selection of the applications received. The exclusion criteria include: Lack of a clear link to sustainability, no clear link between budget planning and project design, too much similarity to a previously funded SIP project (no repetitions), lack of transparency or difficulty in understanding the project, and lack of the school’s involvement (only for staff projects).  
3. The SIP Board evaluates the submissions according to the below criteria. If necessary or upon request, the SIP Board may call in further experts from academia, business or society for the evaluation. 
4. The ZHAW's Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) reviews and approves the final selection of projects to be supported.  
5. Following approval by the SDC, the project leaders receive all administrative details and project funding can start at the requested time. 
6. The Sustainable Impact Program should be listed as a partner of the project in all communication, ideally with logo and web link (details will be provided with the confirmation of funding). An article about the project is published on the sustainable blog during or after implementation. 
7. After completion of the project, a final project report with information on the use of funds is due.  

For further questions on the application procedure, please contact sustainable@zhaw.ch.  

• Impact for Sustainable Development: Potential of the application to contribute to a sustainable transformation (especially through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs) and possibly to promote a culture of sustainability in the region and/or at the ZHAW. 
• Innovation: Novelty, originality, and scalability of the project in the respective context. 
• Interdisciplinarity: Exchange, inclusion of or collaboration with representatives of other ZHAW schools or universities, civil society, the private or public sector. 
• Social Impact: Consideration of social aspects in the proposal, especially the question of how people and socially underrepresented groups (incl. women) are included in and affected by the proposal and how their living situation or social (problem) awareness is improved. 
• Dissemination: Dissemination and communication of the project (Pillar II: incl. publications and knowledge transfer) internally and externally through channels relevant to the target groups. 
• Feasibility and Efficiency: Feasibility of the project (project management) and management of the budget (use of funds incl. budget contribution of the department for staff projects).