SNSFinfo print, October 2012

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snsf info w w w. s n s f . c h

Editorial My photo album We often recognise changes only in retrospect. A ten-year-old photograph of a person we see everyday can open our eyes to this Dieter Imboden fact. My “photo album” President of the National of the SNSF consists Research Council of minutes of meetof the SNSF ings, documents and personal notes – for instance those I took on 10 January 2005 when I chaired a meeting of the Presiding Board of the Research Council for the first time. On that occasion, I mentioned as major challenges the reform project “SNF08”, the preparation of the multiyear-programme 2008-11, a worthy role for the SNSF in research funding, and international integration. In addition, career funding was already very close to my heart. Last but not least, I paid my respects to the institution and the people who make it what it is. And today, almost eight years later? While we have made considerable progress in certain areas, more work is still needed in others. The photo album does not end with my departure from the SNSF. Research and research funding are neverending, and that is just as well. When paging through the SNSF album I feel grateful for those images that I helped to shape. And my respect for the task at hand has remained intact. SNSF vivat, crescat, floreat.

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N° 17 > October 2012

I n f o r m a t i o n f o r r e s e a r c h e r s f r o m t h e S w i s s N a t i o n a l S c i e n c e Fo u n d a t i o n

Mobility fellowships and grants for doctoral students: Innovations in 2013 Make it clear, streamlined and flexible: these are some of the goals pursued by the SNSF in restructuring its mobility fellowships for stays abroad. In addition, the SNSF will increase its support for doctoral students as of 2013 by means of a new excellence scheme (Doc.CH) in the humanities and social sciences. Daniel Sebastiani, Careers division

The fellowships will henceforth consist of three funding schemes that are open to all disciplines. Doc.Mobility and Early Postdoc.Mobility are distinct schemes that replace the fellowships for prospective researchers. The submission deadlines at the local Research Commissions and the Fellowship Commission of the SNSF have been harmonised and set to 1 March and 1 September. Doc.Mobility runs for 6 to 18 months and is aimed at doctoral students. Early Postdoc.Mobility is geared at postdocs at the beginning of their careers and runs for 18 months. Advanced Postdoc.Mobility replaces the fellowships for advanced researchers, with funding decisions being made by the National Research Council. At least one year's experience as a postdoc by the submission deadline (1 February and 1 August) is a prerequisite for this funding scheme, which offers support for a period of 12 to 36 months. Approximately 600 fellowships are awarded each year.

A doctorate thanks to Doc.CH The new funding scheme Doc.CH is addressed to doctoral students who wish to write a dissertation in the humanities and social sciences in Switzerland on a topic of their own choice. The submission deadlines are 10 March and 10 September. The requirements for this funding scheme include a master's degree with excellent marks and, in principle, a change of higher education institution between

As of next year, the SNSF will be offering a new funding scheme aimed at doctoral students in the humanities and social sciences: Doc.CH

the bachelor and the doctorate. Candidates must be supervised by two professors. The evaluation procedure consists of two phases: the local Research Commission of the chosen university selects the best applications in the first phase, and the National Research Council takes the funding decisions in the second phase. The SNSF awards 40 grants per year. E lig ibility r e quir e me n ts f or t he s e schemes, such as the academic age, have been made as flexible as possible in order to accommodate different career paths. www.snsf.ch > Funding > Careers

Page 2 > Large projects: Participation thanks to FLARE • Page 2 > In Focus: Lack of gender equality Page 5 > Conclusion of NCCR "MICS"• Page 5 > Projects with Romania and Bulgaria get under way


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