Society in Science - Branco Weiss Fellowship, ETH Zurich
The fellowship is geared primarily to natural scientists and engineers at an early stage of their post-doctoral studies; however, representatives of other disciplines may also apply if they are able to present an appropriate project. Applicants must provide evidence of outstanding scientific achievement to qualify.
The program is coordinated by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH); however, the financing can be used at any institution worldwide.
In the evaluation of candidates emphasis will be given to personality more than the proposed study. However, awardees are expected to design a courageous and scientifically rigorous research project which benefits from the unique freedom offered by the Branco Weiss Fellowship. The proposed inquiry must meet high standards of scientific quality as well as containing a clear and distinct social component.
The five-year fellowship will be awarded in the form of an initial two-year (Pioneer Phase) and a subsequent three-year (Exploitation Phase) installment. At the end of the second year, a review will be conducted to evaluate the originality of the project and the productivity of the post-doctoral fellow. The review is conducted in line with a list of requirements which will be communicated to fellows early on.
Deadlines: Each proposal is rated on its merits by the directorate of Society in Science and the scientific advisory board. Shortlisted candidates are invited for a personal interview. The following timeline applies for the Fellowships 2011:
- 1 March 2011: deadline for applications
- May 2011: notification of shortlisted and refused candidates; invitation of shortlisted candidates for personal interviews
- June 2011: personal interviews of candidates with the directorate and the scientific advisory board in Zurich (Switzerland) and final selection of fellows
- 1 September to 31 December 2011: fellows commence with their research projects
