UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs

Eligibility

• Doctoral candidates registered at UniBE and involved in research (i.e., doctoral candidates who are completing a research doctorate), regardless of whether or not they are employed at UniBE. Applying doctoral candidates must have been registered as a doctoral candidate for at least six months at the time of the application deadline.
• Postdoctoral researchers in the categories of Early Postdoc, Advanced Postdoc and Senior Research Assistant employed at UniBE, and early-career researchers employed at UniBE with a Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applying postdoctoral researchers or early-career researchers at postdoc level must have been employed as postdocs at UniBE or at Inselspital Bern for at least three months at the time of the application deadline.
• Applicants must be registered as a doctoral candidate or employed as a postdoctoral researcher at UniBE or Inselspital Bern for at least six more months after their research stay has ended.

Principles

• Funding is provided for
  • field research stays,
  • research stays at universities or other research institutions and/or
  • stays for scientific work in libraries, scientific collections, archives, laboratories, etc.
• A research stay may encompass several of the above-listed activities and several locations but must be completed without interruption.
• Participation in summer/winter schools, conferences and scientific method courses is possible in combination with a short research stay but, as a rule, such participation will not be supported as a single activity.
• Stays that are centered primarily on exchange, networking and/or purely on writing scientific texts are not supported.
• A research stay must be commenced at the latest six months from the date of notification of approval of the application.
• You must be able to plausibly justify - if necessary in consultation with their main supervisor - the funding requirements for the requested research stay (or justify why no other funding is available for the requested short research stay). This does not apply exclusively, but in particular to doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers with SNSF funding
• To submit an application, you must have a fully completed and signed agreement (Doctoral or Postdoctoral Agreement). This applies to all applicants without exception.
• If you are an early-career researcher at postdoctoral level with a position at Inselspital, your position at Inselspital Bern must meet the requirements of the University of Bern in terms of employment level (80-100%) and Protected Research Time (at least 50% in absolute terms; at least 20% with service tasks in the medical and veterinary field).
• You can apply for travel and accommodation costs for the research stay and, if applicable, participation fees for summer/winter schools, scientific congresses and/or scientific methods courses. Material expenses for research (e.g., consumables) may also be approved in well-justified exceptional cases.
• You have the support of your main academic supervisor. A letter of support must be enclosed with the application.

Application Process

The application, along with all required documents, must be submitted via the online platform. The link for online submission will be activated two months before the deadline. When preparing your application, you may use the sample form, which can be found further down on this page, as a guide.

Important: The online application must be completed in its entirety during a single browser session, and all documents must be uploaded at that time. Please have all documents ready in PDF format before starting your online application.

Documents

The following documents must be submitted along with the online application form:

1. Current and duly signed letter of support from the first academic supervisor that refers specifically to the planned research stay abroad within the scope of the "UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs"
2. Completed form “Basic Information on the Research Stay,” signed by the main supervisor and the institute/department head
3. Fully completed and signed doctoral or postdoctoral agreement
4. Complete and current CV including major scientific achievements (preferably in line with the guidelines of the SNSF for devising a CV) (max. 4 pages)
5. Confirmations or invitations from host universities or other research institutions (including details regarding dates of the stay, supervisors at the host university, workspaces, etc.); if applicable, proof of planned participation in summer/winter schools, academic conferences, or scientific method courses
6. Tabular time and work schedule for the planned research stay (max. 1 page)

Note

• Please be sure to follow the application guidelines below!
• Incomplete applications or applications submitted too late will not be considered. No information or documents can be submitted after the respective submission deadline.

Assessment of applications submitted in the correct form and within the stipulated deadline shall be performed by a committee consisting of members of the Vice-Rectorate International and Academic Careers. Applications are evaluated based on the information provided in the application. The committee’s assessment of the applications is final.

On completion of a research stay abroad, an activity and financial accountability report is to be submitted for the attention of the Vice-Rectorate International and Academic Careers by the person being supported, with inclusion of the competent organizational unit (institute/secretariat) if required. The report must be signed by the person being supported and their first academic supervisor.