5. Information for assistants at Eawag, Empa or WSL (postdoctoral scholarship)
Background
Your professor has acknowledged and agreed to the following conditions and criteria. We recommend that you read the websites.
Your responsibilities
They may vary from professorship to professorship.
- Completed by 1 September (as the scholarship is paid from that date)
- The responsibility for the respective status at the research institute, the submission of the doctoral degree certificate and the compliance with legal requirements (work permit, documents for the Migration Office) lies with the HR department of the research institute.
- 12 months
- Cannot be extended
- Varies (academic guest, postdoctoral student, guest scientist, etc.)
- Responsible: HR department of the research institute
- The scholarship can be topped up as long as the total salary does not exceed the usual remuneration of a postdoctoral student.
- The HR department of the research institute is your contact for the top-up. Thank you for keeping the Student Exchange Office in the loop (CC).
You must ensure a physical workplace is available for the scholarship holders.
- The Student Exchange Office cannot offer accommodation.
- The research institutes usually have their own accommodations. Inform the scholarship holders whether they can take advantage of those accommodations or inform them about alternatives.
- The scholarship holders should – if possible – take up residence in the canton of Zurich, as the regulations vary from canton to canton. The Student Exchange Office can only advise on the procedures in the canton of Zurich.
Visa
- Scholarship holders not already in Switzerland: You do not have to do anything. The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) applies for their visa. You can send any questions about visas to the Student Exchange Office.
- Scholarship holders already in Switzerland: Please inform the Student Exchange Office .
Date of entry
- This must be on 1 September. If the scholarship holders will be employed, the date is also 1 September (at most a few days afterwards). At the latest, they should have entered Switzerland by the semester start.
- Problems arising from an earlier or later entry must be solved by you. The Student Exchange Officee cannot assist in this case. FCS processes – including their health insurance solution – and potential fees from registering for a residence permit after taking up employment – which is schedulded for 1 September – are examples for possible problems.
- You do not have to do anything, the Student Exchange Office will take care of the scholarship payments.
- For your information: The first two scholarship instalments are paid out at the cash desk in the main building, after that the scholarship is transferred directly to the bank account specified by the scholarship holder. It is paid as a net amount without social security contributions.
Health and accident insurance
You do not have to do anything. For your information:
- Scholarship holders with residence in an EU/EFTA country: They should have an insurance and may apply for an exemption if they meet certain conditions.
- Scholarship holders with residence in a non-???EU/EFTA country: Paid and organised by FCS
Suva
Research institutes are responsible for possible coverage by Suva.
- The Student Exchange Office will invite the scholarship holders directly to events.
- Before the 1 September, the Student Exchange Office will organise an online welcome event for all scholarship holders. The aim is to ensure that the start in Switzerland is successful and that everyone knows what they need to do (e.g. applying for residence permit, explaining the public transport and health insurance system, etc.).
- During the year, the scholarship holders are invited to events to familiarise them with Swiss culture and give them the opportunity to network.