Branco Weiss Fellowship Position in ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Designation/Position- Branco Weiss Fellowship

ETH Zurich, Switzerland, invites applications for Branco Weiss Fellowship position from eligible and interested candidates

About- The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science provides a platform for exceptionally qualified researchers, demonstrating a willingness to engage in a dialogue on relevant social, cultural, political, or economic issues across the frontiers of their particular discipline.

The fellowship program was initiated and financed by the Swiss entrepreneur Dr. Branco Weiss, who passed away in October 2010. The program is based at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH).

Research/Job Area- Science, engineering and social sciences

Location- ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Eligibility/Qualification– 

The ideal applicant has the competencies to design a surprisingly novel and scientifically rigorous research project that blazes new trails, profiting from the freedom the fellowship offers.

You are eligible for the 2023 campaign if:

  • You officially hold a Ph.D. on January 15, 2023
  • You have obtained your Ph.D. a maximum of five years before January 15, 2023
  • You do not hold or have held a faculty-equivalent position (e.g., assistant professor or lecturer)
  • Your project departs from the mainstream of research in your discipline
  • You have a record of outstanding scientific achievement
  • You demonstrate in the proposal a willingness to engage in a dialogue on relevant social, cultural, political or economic issues across the frontiers of your particular discipline.

If you had applied before and were not selected, you are welcome to apply again.

The following reasons for delays after attaining your Ph.D. are acceptable:

  • parental leave (max. one year per child)
  • inability to work due to illness or accident

Applicants must explain their reasons for applying for an extension and provide the relevant documents. The number of weeks that the research work was interrupted is accepted as an extension.

Job/Position Description- 

The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science is a unique postdoc program. It awards young researchers worldwide with a generous personal research grant, giving them the freedom to work on whatever topic they choose anywhere in the world for up to five years.

This research fellowship is designed to support postdoctoral researchers after their Ph.D. and before their first faculty appointment. Those in current postdoctoral positions are also eligible. Ideally, fellows pursue unconventional projects in new areas of science, engineering and social sciences.

A Branco Weiss Fellowship consists of CHF 100,000 per year. It may cover all legitimate research costs (i.e., salary and/or equipment, travel expenses, consumables, personnel, etc.).

Duration

The fellowship is awarded in two installments:

  1. The pioneer phase: the first two years of research
  2. The exploitation phase: the remaining three years

At the end of the pioneer phase, a review is conducted. This evaluates the project, its continued originality, and the productivity of the fellow. Branco Weiss Fellows are encouraged to seek faculty positions during their exploitation phase; success hereby will not terminate the fellowship.

How to Apply- 

Apply with a groundbreaking research idea to secure financial support for up to five years, working at an academic institution of your choice anywhere in the world.

Please have the following documents (pdf files) ready for uploading:

  • Letter of motivation, including a statement explaining why your research differs from the mainstream (max. 1 page)
  • Your proposed research project (max. 4 pages, including abstract, references extra)
  • Your CV (max. 4 pages)
  • Copies of your three best publications (no doctoral theses, no books, only individual book chapters)
  • Application overview (template available for download from October 2020), including reasoning of why you believe that you are a perfect candidate for a Branco Weiss Fellowship (max. 1000 characters)

Please note that letters of support do not have to be submitted upon application. Timelines and budgets are not necessary.

In preparing the description of your intended research, you may wish to give emphasis to the idea or concept forming the heart of the work, the methods you are planning to use, and the potential impact of the outcome both for your own subject and for other disciplines. You should also seek to present links between society and science that you wish to explore and promote.

All documents must be submitted as PDF files (max. 10 MB).

For Contact-brancoweissfellowship@ethz.ch

Last Date for Apply– 15 January 2023, 11.59 p.m. (CET)

  • Applications for the 2023 fellowship intake are now open until January 15, 2023, 5 p.m. (CET). Read more about applying for the fellowship here.

See details- 

Official Website-

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