Degree Programs & Courses Doctorate

Funding Program «UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs»

The University of Bern, by way of its «UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs» funding program, supports short research stays of doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers for the purpose of further developing their own research projects.

«UniBE Short Travel Grants for (Post)Docs» provide funding for travel and accommodation for research stays abroad (field research stays, research stays at universities or other research institutions, scientific work in libraries, scientific collections, archives, laboratories, etc.), which last at least two weeks and no more than eight weeks. The maximum funding amount per application is CHF 7'000.- for stays within Europe and CHF 8'000.- for stays outside Europe.

The activity carried out within the framework of the requested research stay must have a substantial effect on the progress of the applicant’s research project.

Eligibility to apply extends to:

  • Doctoral students engaged in research who have been registered as doctoral students at UniBE for at least six months at the time of the application deadline and for at least six additional months on completion of the stay.
  • Early Postdocs, Advanced Postdocs, Senior Research Assistants and postdoctoral researchers by way of a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, who have been employed as Postdocs at the UniBE for at least three months at the time of the application deadline and remain employed for at least another six months on completion of the stay.
  • Early career researchers at the postdoc level who have been employed at the Inselspital Bern for at least three months and remain employed for at least another six months on completion of the stay, provided that they complete a substantial part of their research work at the UniBE, and that they have a corresponding workplace at the UniBE.

The need for funding for the requested research stay must be well justified.

Doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers (or early career researchers at the postdoc level, respectively), are not eligible to apply if they are already entitled to comparable mobility funding, e.g., as part of their employment at the University of Bern or at the Inselspital Bern or membership of a Graduate School, or if funding for the same research stay abroad has already been assured by a different university-internal or -external entity.

There are two application deadlines per year, on March 1st and September 1st respectively.

The next application deadline

September 1, 2024

It is recommended to start the planned research stay two months at the earliest after the respective deadline. In the case of research stays applied for and commenced within this two-month period, the funding risk lies with the respective institute in the event the application is rejected. Moreover, no funding will be granted for already completed research stays.