5. Information for assistants (research fellowship)
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)
- Should the scholarship holders be employed as a teaching assistant, the contract should not start before 1 September.
- 12 months
- Cannot be extended
- Alternative to an extension: Change to a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for doctoral students. Requirement are the admission to the doctoral programme and successful doctoral project proposal defence.
FCS visiting students (via the Student Exchange Office)
You must ensure a physical workplace is available for the scholarship holders.
- Contact your contact HR to organise the employment. They must apply for a work permit six weeks before the employment starts.
- Thank you for keeping the Student Exchange Office in the loop (CC).
General
The scholarship holders should – if possible – take up residence in the canton of Zurich, as the regulations on residence permits, health insurance etc. vary from canton to canton. The Student Exchange Office can only advise on the procedures in the canton of Zurich.
Scholarship holders at ETH Zurich
You do not have to make any arrangements: The accommodation can be organized by the Housing Office of University Zurich and ETH. The Student Exchange Office will take the necessary steps.
Scholarship holders at one of the research institutes (Eawag, Empa, PSI or WSL)
The research institutes usually have their own accommodation. We ask you to make sure that the scholarship holders can benefit from this, and if this is not an option, that you inform them about alternatives.
Scholarship holders already living in Switzerland
As they have already found accommodation, they are not given preferential treatment in the allocation of accommodation.
Scholarship holders with partners and families
Accommodation will only be offered to scholarship holders themselves, no additional people. Scholarship holders with family must organise their own accommodation.
Visa
- Scholarship holders who are not yet in Switzerland: You do not have to do anything. The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) applies for their visa. You can therefore delegate 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 because the employment and start of studies take place on that date. At the latest, scholarship holders should enter Switzerland by the semester start.
- Problems arising from an earlier or later entry must be solved by you. The Student Exchange Office 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 scheduled for 1 September – are examples of possible issues.
- You do not have to do anything, the Student Exchange Office will take care of the scholarship payments.
- 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.
You do not have to do anything. The FCS and the Student Exchange Office will inform the scholarship holders.
For your information:
- Scholarship holders originating from an EU/EFTA country: Provided they still have an European Health insurance Card (EHIC) and are not additionally employed they may apply for an exemption if they meet certain conditions. Else they need to organise and pay their own health insurance coverage.
- Scholarship holders originating from a non-EU/EFTA country: Health insurance is paid and organised by FCS.
- The Student Exchange Office will invite the scholarship holders to events.
- Before the arrival in Switzerland, the Student Exchange Office organizes an online information event for all scholarship holders. The aim is to ensure that the start in Switzerland is successful and that they all know what needs to be done (e.g. applying for residence permit, explaining the public transport and health insurance system, etc.).
- During the year, the scholarship holders are invited to several events to familiarise themselves with Swiss culture and to give them the opportunity to network.