Governance

Executive Board

The FORS Executive Board is chaired by the FORS Director Georg Lutz. It comprises Boris Wernli, Head of the unit Surveys, Brian Kleiner, Head of the unit Data and research information for the social sciences (DARISS), Corine Bolle Head of the group Support & Administration, and BojanaTasic Head of the unit Infrastucture & development (INDEV).

Foundation Board

The Foundation Board is the governing body of FORS. It is chaired by a representative of the host university, currently the Deputy Rector of the University of Lausanne, Prof. Dr. François Bussy. In keeping with the FORS Articles, the Foundation Board is constituted as follows:

  • Three members, including the chair,  appointed by the University of Lausanne;
  • Three members appointed by the Rectors’ Conference of Swiss Higher Education Institutions (swissuniversities);
  • one member appointed by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO);
  • one member appointed by the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences.

Current list of the Foundation Board members

Scientific Board

The Scientific Board advises FORS on all scientific matters connected with the activities and development of FORS and oversees its research activities. The Scientific Board evaluates the scientific quality of the products and services that FORS offers. It consists of leading experts in the fields of surveys, archives and social science and is currently chaired by Professor Mick Couper.

Current list of Scientific Board members

Host University

The University of Lausanne (UNIL) was mandated based on the Federal Law on Research to provide a host institution for FORS. Its contributions to FORS – both financial and material (administration, infrastructure etc.) – are substantial. UNIL also provides an academic environment that helps guarantee scientific excellence. FORS and the University of Lausanne are committed to close collaboration in research.

In addition, the host university also established a joint research programme that involves many researchers from the neighbouring Faculty for Social and Political Sciences (SSP) in order to stimulate joint research activities relating to the FORS data collections.

Foundation Charter

Charter

Funding

FORS is financed

  • by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
  • by the University of Lausanne
  • and by third-party projects that represent additional sources of funding.

Annual Reports