2. Application criteria (research fellowship)
Applicants are advised to include at least the following documents:
- Letter of motivation
- CV
- Two to three letters of reference
- Transcripts and diplomas
- Research plan (two to three A4 pages)
- Academic competence of the candidate: Academic profile, the research capacity and motivation
- Quality of the research proposal: Originality, methodological soundness and time-frame of the project
- Academic context: Quality and context of supervision and the potential for future academic cooperation
- Language proficiency of the candidate
- Age limit: max. 35 years
It is not recommended to support more than two applicants per year.
- If an FCS visiting student is still enrolled at a home university during the research stay, the inviting professorship must make the necessary clarifications with the home university regarding the applicable rules for intellectual property rights before the start of the stay. FCS visiting students are, in principle, subject to ETH's IP rules.
- FCS visiting students are subject to the same regulations as regular ETH students as regards research integrity, compliance guide, IT security, etc.
- Additional contract conditions and guidelines may apply at research institutions in the ETH domain. Questions should be addressed directly to the respective HR department.
The professorship must ensure compliance with applicable protected page export control law.
The final Master's transcripts / Master's degree or an equivalent university degree must be submitted by 30 June.
Applicants often underestimate the time required to obtain necessary documents, and delays have previously hindered project starts. While securing documents is the applicant’s responsibility, we ask you to consider the deadline in your evaluation—specifically, how realistic it is that all documents will be submitted on time.
- If the home university requires the signing of an individual agreement, the supervising professor is responsible for the respective clarifications with the responsible offices (Legal Office, ETH Transfer, etc.) and for the signature.
- The provisions set out in the information sheet regarding Download agreements in connection with academic projects / papers or internships completed at another university or research institution (PDF, 142 KB) apply.
The terms and conditions of the scholarships – set by the FCS – may limit the grantee's research activities, which you should take into account when making your decision.
- The scholarship must be completed in Switzerland. Any trip abroad or absence from the place of study lasting longer than two weeks must be reported to and approved by the Student Exchange Office. Mixed research (part time in Switzerland and part time in another country) is not allowed.
- This scholarship does not allow field trips outside Switzerland. In case the scholarship holder has fieldwork abroad, the scholarship will be suspended during the time abroad.
- All additional income (internship, employment, scholarship) must be reported to the rtudent Exchange Office and approved by the FCS in advance.
- Internships abroad or as part of Swiss mobility (exchange semester) are not accepted.
- Change of study programme must be reported to the Student Exchange Office and approved by the FCS.
- Additional or part-time studies must be reported to the Student Exchange Office and approved by the FCS.
- When accepting the scholarship, grantees agree in writing to return to their home country after completing their studies. Further employment after the end of their studies contradicts the intention of the scholarship (i.e. avoiding brain drain).
Applicants who have been living in Switzerland for more than one year at the time of the planned start of the scholarship will not be considered.