Scribd
Upload
9 views4 pages

Guidelines BWF

Uploaded by

Divya Naradasu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
9 views4 pages

Guidelines BWF

Uploaded by

Divya Naradasu
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Guidelines for The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science

7 November 2022

The Directorate of The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science issues the following guidelines:

Article 1 Objectives
1
The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science is a community of exceptional young scientists
who share a passion for taking research beyond the mainstream. Fellows are given the means to
pursue their personal vision of a particular scientific project independently – in the best possible
locations, anywhere in the world. The fellowship is awarded to postdocs for up to five years. The
fellowship is international and covers all scientific fields. Besides a passion for the research itself,
Branco Weiss Fellows share the desire of communicating beyond their own field of study and with
society at large.
2
The Branco Weiss Fellowship - Society in Science awards fellowships to outstanding postdoctoral
researchers around the world.

Article 2 Eligibility
1
The Fellowship is open to researchers from all disciplines and to citizens of all nationalities. There
are no restrictions on biological age.
2
At the time of the submission deadline, applicants must hold a doctorate (PhD) or must have suc-
cessfully passed their doctoral examination. Applicants must have obtained their doctorate (PhD) a
maximum of five years before the submission deadline. The date of the examination or of the certif-
icate is decisive.
3
Professors and lecturers with or without tenure or tenure track are not eligible to apply for a fellow-
ship.
4
Scientists with a permanent employment are not eligible to apply for a fellowship.
5
Applications not complying with the eligibility criteria will be rejected on formal grounds.

Article 3 Applications
1
Applications for fellowships must be written in English and submitted electronically as described on
the website https://www.brancoweissfellowship.org/. The annual submission deadline is on 15 Jan-
uary.
2
The application must consist of:
a. A description of the proposed research project (max. 4 pages, including abstract, state of
research, research plan, timelines and tentative milestones, and excluding references)
b. The applicant’s curriculum vitae including a list of publications (max. 4 pages including
publications)
c. A motivation letter including an explanation of why the proposed research differs from
the mainstream (max. 1 page)
d. Copies of three publications (no doctoral theses, no books, only peer-reviewed journal
articles or individual book chapters)
3
The application must be accompanied by a letter signed by the potential mentor (host professor),
stating their support for the project and the degree of independence and scientific autonomy that will
be granted to the Fellow in the event of acceptance. In addition, the letter must confirm that the host
professor is willing to:
a. integrate the Fellow into their laboratory at the research institution,
b. provide the Fellow with a workplace and access to the infrastructure and technology re-
quired for the successful completion of the proposed research.
4
The abstract should be written in a form that enables the educated layperson to understand the
objectives of the proposed research project, the methods to be employed and the significance of the
anticipated results. The font of the documents submitted should not be less than 10 points with
normal line spacing.
5
The prospective research project must comply with the applicable ethics regulations and adhere to
the principles of research integrity valid at the host institution and those of ETH Zurich. Relevant
ethical, legal and social considerations should be included in the proposal.
6
Copies of doctoral degree certificates and recommendation letters should not be submitted with
the application. They are only requested after the applicant has entered the second step of the eval-
uation procedure (Art. 4). The candidate provides the name of a potential author of a recommenda-
tion letter in the online application.
7
Applications will be rejected for formal reasons if they are not complying with the guidelines or do
not contain all of the information requested.

Article 4 Evaluation Procedure


1
The evaluation comprises three steps:
Step 1: Reduction of the written applications to a short list by the Directorate and experts from ETH
Zurich and the University of Zurich.
Step 2: Peer review of the short-listed written proposals by independent external experts. The se-
lected candidates have to provide copies of their doctoral degree certificates, and support letters are
requested. The Directorate decides which candidates will be invited to an interview.
Step 3: Interviews with a committee of experts from various fields chaired by the Directorate. External
experts might be invited to individual interviews to complement the expertise of the committee.
The results of each step are communicated to the applicants per email, the first step being completed
within two months after the submission deadline.
2
Applications will be assessed against criteria addressing the candidate’s aptitude, the quality of the
proposed research and the suitability of the application for The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society
in Science program (https://www.brancoweissfellowship.org/mission.html. Successful applications
must be compelling in all respects.

2/4
In line with DORA 1, achievements are assessed on the base of qualitative evaluations of a diverse
range of research outputs and activities.
Additional criteria taking into account specific objectives of an application may be included, such as
ethical issues, etc.
3
The interviews are held as video conferences, last about 30 minutes and are mandatory for the
invited candidates. Candidates are requested to give a presentation and will be asked questions
about their proposed research project, the choice of the research lab, their expectations of as well
as their potential impact to the Branco Weiss Fellowship.
4
After all interviews have been completed the performance of the candidates will be evaluated by
the committee and the funding decision confirmed by the Directorate. Applicants will be informed
about the decision by email within 10 days.

Article 5 Duration and funding


1
Fellows are awarded a fellowship amounting to a maximum of CHF 500,000 for a maximum of five
years to carry out their research project.
2
The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science makes annual payments to the Fellow’s host
institution through ETH Zurich, contingent on the receipt of the reports (see Art. 7).
3
The first two years of a project are called the pioneer phase, for which a grant agreement is signed
with the host institution (Art. 6.3). At the end of the pioneer phase, a review and a site visit will be
conducted (Art. 6.6). At this point, the project, its continued originality, and the Fellow’s productivity
are evaluated. If the results of the evaluation and the site visit are satisfactory, the Fellow enters the
exploitation phase for the remaining three years of the fellowship. The above grant agreement is
extended by a written amendment.
4
Fellows must start their project after approval, at the earliest on 1 September and no later than
1 January in the following year.
5
It is permitted to partially (in case that employment is funded through the host institution) or fully
cover the Fellow’s salary by the fellowship at a level that corresponds to the terms and conditions of
employment at the host institution (Art. 6). The fellowship may also be used to cover the salaries of
doctoral students, as well as all other justified expenses such as equipment, consumables, travel,
technical or secretarial services within the scope of the research project.
6
Fellows are encouraged to acquire third-party funding during their fellowship period.

Article 6 Host institution


1
The Fellowship project can be carried out at any academic host institution worldwide.
2
Fellows can work at one or more host institutions. One institution must be designated as the main
host institution.
3
The project grant is administered by the (main) host institution through a three-way contractual
standard grant agreement between the Fellow, the (main) host institution, and ETH Zurich. The host
institution ensures that the fellowship is made available to the Fellow without restriction. The host
institution is allowed to retain a management fee not exceeding 10% of the fellowship.

1 The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, https://sfdora.org/


3/4
4
Each party may terminate the grant agreement by giving six (6) months’ written notice to the other
parties. The remaining amount of the fellowship must be refunded to ETH Zurich.
5
Fellows appoint a mentor for their scientific support. The host institutions ensure that the Fellows
can freely choose their mentors among the members of the institution.
6
Periodic site visits are planned by representatives of The Branco Weiss Fellowship. The host insti-
tution and the Fellow ensure that representatives of The Branco Weiss Fellowship are granted ac-
cess to laboratories or areas where the research project is located.
7
All results of the Fellow’s research project, including copyright and all other intellectual property
rights are governed by the rules and laws applicable at the (main) host institution.
8
The Fellowship supports mobility. If a Fellow plans to move to another host institution, a request
must be submitted to the Directorate, providing clear evidence that the new host institution is equally
well suited to perform the fellowship project. The Directorate can request a letter of invitation from
the future host institution, that confirms that the requirements in Art. 3.3 are fulfilled. After approval,
a new grant agreement will be signed with the new host institution. An amendment to terminate the
fellowship agreement is signed with the previous institution. The remainder of the fellowship will be
transferred to the new host institution.

9
It is not allowed to change the host institution in the first year of the fellowship.

Article 7 Reporting and annual symposium


1
Fellows commit to submit a status report at the beginning of their fellowship as well as a yearly
scientific and financial report. A final report is due upon completion of the project, including all rele-
vant outcomes (publications, patents, etc.).
2
With the intention to create a diverse, dedicated and intellectually stimulating ecosystem of re-
searchers, an annual symposium is held in Zurich. All Fellows are obliged to participate in the sym-
posium and present their projects on request.

Prof. Heidi Wunderli-Allenspach


Prof. Josef Zeyer
Prof. Angelika Steger
Directorate of The Branco Weiss Fellowship

4/4

You might also like