NCCR Automation Fellowship

The NCCR Automation Fellowship empowers motivated students from abroad to conduct their Master's thesis or research project in one or several research groups associated with NCCR Automation.
Study abroad

The call for this year's fellowship programme has now closed. Winners will be notified in December 2024.

A research exchange is an important part of a career. Not only does it broaden your scientific horizon, but it also expands your personal network and increase your self-confidence. NCCR Automation is launching the second call of its fellowship programme to promote international research collaboration, interdisciplinarity and foster exchanges. The hosting lab and the NCCR Automation network provide supervision and mentoring, as well as a stimulating research environment, along with participation in research and social activities with NCCR Automation researchers. We look forward to hosting researchers from outside Switzerland in our research groups. 

Eligibility

The fellowship is available to Master's students, PhD candidates or postdoctoral researchers who fulfill the following criteria:

  • You are currently engaged with an education or research programme that complements the research group that you are applying to work with.
  • You remain enrolled or employed at your home institution until the end of the fellowship.
  • For PhD students and postdoctoral researchers: You will continue to receive your salary from your home institution.
  • You did not study or work at the host institution in the past.
  • You meet the requirements of the host institution. Find links in the FAQ.

Details

  • Duration: max. 6 months, finish date 31.07.2025 at the latest.
  • Budget:
    • We provide up to CHF 3,000 per month. Eligible costs are listed in the FAQ.
    • The PI supervising the student will cover project-related expenses, such as travel costs to NCCR Automation meetings.
  • Applicants must declare any scholarships they benefit from during their research stay with us.

Deliverables

  • Research report;
  • Financial report;
  • Any resulting publications must include mention of the fellowship: "This work was supported by NCCR Automation, grant agreement 51NF40_180545 from the Swiss National Science Foundation."

How to apply

A good application takes time and requires your commitment. Apply via the application platform, and provide the requested input and documents below in PDF format. The submission deadline is 30th September 2024 at 23:59 (CEST). 

  • CV (max. 2 pages) with publications (if relevant);
  • Motivation letter for MSc student, research proposal for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers;
  • Budget plan, including details of salary from the home institution, any scholarships or other funding;
  • Letter of support from home institution and supervisor;
  • Copy of university degree(s) and/or transcripts;
  • For Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers: A research proposal, covering your research question and how you intend to go about answering the question or contribute to answering it, with an accompanying plan and/or timeline (max. 2 pages).
  • Candidates must choose a PI affiliated with NCCR Automation that will act as host in case of a successful application. A list of PIs can be found on the application form or on the people page of this website under the filer "principal investigators"

Application procedure and selection criteria

  • Only applications received on the application platform before 30.09.24 (23:59 CEST) will be considered.
  • The applications will be evaluated by the NCCR management team and PIs.
  • The selection criteria are:
    • potential of the applicant for research at NCCR Automation;
    • alignment with the goals of this fellowship.
  • The results of the NCCR Automation Fellowship will be released in December 2024.
  • Earliest start date: January 2025.

We value diversity

The NCCR Automation encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Please see our Equal Opportunities page for more details on our commitment. 

Questions and feedback

Do you have additional questions? Please have a look at the frequently asked questions and write to Silvia Garbari for further information.

Flyer for fellowship programme