Coordination Office for the promotion of early career researchers
The Coordination Office for the promotion of early career researchers in the Vice-Rectorate Research supports young academics to ensure they produce outstanding work during their academic career.
Optimal support conditions at the University of Bern
The coordination office was created in 2013. It supports academic high-fliers in accordance with the university's "Strategy 2021" which is particularly committed to promoting early career researchers.
The Coordination Office addresses doctoral students as well as postdocs. It organizes suitable measures (e.g. support with specific funds), offers advice, launches and coordinates interfaculty initiatives and projects for the promotion of early career researchers.
The advisory service is aimed at young scientists of every Faculty, who are before or after the next academic career step. The advice takes place in coordination with other institutions, which are supporting the young researchers.
Services
Promotion
The Coordination Office for the promotion of early career researchers supports researchers at doctorate and post-doctorate level with specific funds.
To the Fund for the Promotion of Young Researchers
Advisory services
The Coordination Office advises the early career researchers on planning their academic career and provides support particularly in the evaluation of funding options at post-doctorate level.
Coordination
The secretariat of the Commission for the Promotion of Early Career Researchers at the University of Bern runs the Coordination Office. It ensures coordination with all service offices and institutes of the university committed to promoting early career researchers. It provides information within the university and to the outside to suit the target group concerned.
The working group for the promotion of early career researchers bundles the expertise of the different units of the central administration. The working group is managed by the Coordination Office.
Boards
Commission for the Promotion of Early Career Researchers
The Commission for the Promotion of Early Career Researchers advises and supports the Executive Board of the University of Bern in all matters concerning promotion of early career researchers.
The Commission
- oversees, among other things, specific university programs for the promotion of early career researchers
- compiles recommendations
- and is responsible for all information on the promotion of early career researchers.
The Commission is composed of delegates from all faculties, intermediate staff, students as well as university offices which are particularly committed to matters concerning the promotion of early career researchers. The Commission is chaired by the Vice-Rector for Development, Prof. Dr. Virginia Richter.
The next meeting of the Commission will take place:
Thursday, 15 June 2023, 8.30 a.m.
Working group for the promotion of early career researchers
The working group for the promotion of early career researchers bundles the expertise of the different units of the central administration.
The following offices and departments are directly involved with questions regarding the promotion of early career researchers:
- Vice-Rectorate Research: Coordination Office for the the Promotion of Early Career Researchers; Grants Office
- Vice-Rectorate Quality: Office for Gender Equality
- Vice-Rectorate Development: Office for Career Services, Graduate Schools and Doctoral Programmes; the Office for Transferable Skills and the Welcome Center
- The Human Resources Office
- The Intermediate Staff Association
- The University Library
The working group has the following main goals:
- regular, institutionalized exchange of information on ongoing measures for the promotion of young scientists
- supply of expertise for decisions by the university's governing bodies.
- consulting of other university units.
- collecting best practice, developing model examples and input of recommendations into the inner-university decision-making processes.
- exchange with internal and external university bodies, while also maintaining contact with other universities and institutions of higher education.
Contact and information: Matthias Hirt, Coordination office for the promotion of early career researchers, matthias.hirt@unibe.ch
Organization chart/responsibilities
Staff

- Name / Titel
- Dr. Matthias Hirt
- Funktion
- Head of Coordination Office for the Promotion of Early Career Researchers
- matthias.hirt@unibe.ch
- Phone
- +41 31 684 40 29

- Name / Titel
- Dr. Judith Zbinden
- Funktion
- Grants Advisor
- judith.zbinden@unibe.ch
- Phone
- +41 31 684 48 05