Grants and Financial Support

The Robert Gnehm Grant for parent postdocs (hereafter the RGG) aims to support parent postdocs in the first year of parenthood, allowing them to devote more time to their child while alleviating a temporary decrease in scientific productivity. One aim is to free them from routine work that can be delegated to others, for example in the field of laboratory work, academic administration, and teaching.

Objectives

The grant funds short-term and part-time personnel support, notably for:

• assistance to help with routine tasks in the laboratory,
• administrative assistance to assume the applicant’s administrative tasks,
• assistance for teaching.

The postdoc could, for example, hire a “student assistant” to help with experiments and/or collecting data such as to accelerate the submission of scientific articles. Other types of financial support, such as prolongation of the working contract of the postdoc, are conceivable.

Scope of allocated grant

The grant amounts to a maximum of CHF 20,000, financed as follows:

• Up to 75% (maximum CHF 15,000) by the Equal Opportunity Office
• At least 25% by the post-doc’s unit

For special situations (e.g. PATT laboratories), please contact the Equal Opportunity Office.

The grant can be used after return from maternity leave and lasts for a maximum of one year. Any change in the intended use of this funding must be communicated to the Equal Opportunity Office.

Please note that these grants will be paid out of the budgetary funds of the laboratories or units receiving them. This assistance is subject to the available budget.

Application form

Applications must be submitted at the latest 1 month before the expected use to the Equal Opportunity Office.

Please fill in the Application Form and return it together with the following documents:

• A support letter from the Head of laboratory
• For male applicants, justification showing that his partner works at a minimum work rate of 80 % (e.g., copy of work contract or certificate of employer)
• Other annexes, (if applicable)

Objectives

The Robert Gnehm Grant for parent doctoral students (hereafter the RGG-PhD) aims to support doctoral students in the early stages of parenthood, allowing them to benefit from the needed flexibility to devote more time to their child, while alleviating a temporary decrease in scientific productivity. One aim is to free them from work that can be delegated to others, under the responsibility of the head of lab; for example in the field of laboratory work or teaching. Other types of financial support, such as prolongation of the working contract of the PhD students or reduction of work rate, are conceivable (except for the compensation of the 4 months maternity leave, to be paid by the unit or school dotation or SNSF funding).

Eligibility

Are eligible:

• Doctoral students employed at EPFL expecting a child or who have a child[1].
• The applicant is the main care person for the children, or provides half of the childcare.
• Doctoral students employed at EPFL adopting a child are also eligible.

[1] For a non-birthing doctoral student employed at EPFL, a 80 % minimum work or study rate for both parents at the time of the application is requested.

Scope of allocated grant

The grant amounts to a maximum of CHF 20,000, financed as follows:

• Up to 75% (maximum CHF 15,000) by the Equal Opportunity Office
• At least 25% by the doctoral student’s unit

For special situations (e.g. PATT laboratories), please contact the Equal Opportunity Office.

The RGG-PhD grant may be used for the period indicated in the application. Any change in the intended use of this funding must be communicated to the Equal Opportunity Office.

Please note that these grants will be paid out of the budgetary funds of the laboratories or units receiving them. This assistance is subject to the available budget.

Variants

Applicants can choose between two variants:

1. Without reduction of contract-based work rate. The flexibility arrangement resulting in increased availability of the applicant for child care should be described in the application form.
2. A (temporary) reduction of the applicant’s work rate, as discussed with the PhD program director to ensure that the conditions are adequate to finish the PhD. In this case, the money freed as result of the lower work rate should be used by the Laboratory in a way to support the objective of the RGG request.

Application

Applications should be submitted as early as possible through this application form , but at the latest three months before the expected implementation.

Applicants are free to contact the EPFL Equal Opportunity Office in case they wish support for the request to their PI or for completing the application form.

Evaluation and selection

The RGG-PhD is granted by the EPFL Research Awards Commission upon recommendation by the EPFL representative in the Board of Trustees of the Robert Gnehm Fund and the EPFL Delegate for equal opportunity.

The evaluation is based primarily on how well the request meets the goals stated above, on the specific justification provided for the use of the requested funds, and on the recommendation and contribution of the doctoral student’s supervisor(s)/head of laboratory. Particular attention will be paid to the additional flexibility for the parent to organize their working time and spend more time with the child. Applicant and supervisor/head of laboratory will be invited for a short meeting prior to the decision.

At equal priority level in other respects, priority will be given to female doctoral students and doctoral students of tenure-track assistant professors.

Project management

After the evaluation by the representative in the Board of Trustees of the Robert Gnehm Fund and the EPFL Delegate for equal opportunity, the applicant registers the application on GrantsDB. Once the RGG is granted by the EPFL Research Commission, the decision is registered on GrantsDB.

Follow-up and reporting

RGG-PhD beneficiaries are invited on a regular basis for a discussion with the Equal Opportunity Office. These discussions aim to ensure the smooth running of the RGG support.

The recipient has to announce to the Equal Opportunity Office if she or he leaves EPFL before the end of the grant. An arrangement will be found with the recipient and the lab on a case-by-case basis.

Recipients of an RGG must submit a short (maximum 2 pages) report at the latest three months after the end of the grant. This report contains: information on the use of the fund, the benefits to the applicant in terms of work-life balance and child care.

In case of reduction of work rate, use of and benefit ensured through additional support from the laboratory through allocation of freed resources should be described as well.

Suggestions for improvements to the program are also encouraged.

There is the possibility of obtaining financial support for a child’s care under certain conditions, while waiting to find a place in a subsidized daycare nursery (information is available at the Equal Opportunity Office).

This offer is subject to budget availability.

Do you have a baby under 18 months of age for whom you are the main carer in the household, and are you going to attend a conference or undertake a research trip, bringing your child with you?

EPFL researchers at doctoral or post-doctoral level only can obtain financial support of max. CHF 1,500 to cover the travel costs (flight, train, hotel) of a person accompanying them with their baby under 18 months of age. This maximum amount does not apply per event, but for the entire period from birth to 18 months of age. If the professional stay is followed by a private stay, only the overnight stay related to the professional stay or the cost of childcare during the professional stay can justify reimbursement.

Please note that reimbursement will be made via the beneficiary’s salary, and must be subject to compulsory social security contributions in accordance with current tax legislation.

Alternatively, if the conference organizer offers a babysitting service, invoiced to participants, the corresponding costs may also be covered.

This procedure is subject to the same rules as business travel, and must comply with the EPFL LEX in force.

To request support, please fill the online form and send a copy of the invoices to Delphine Wenger.

This assistance is available within the limits of the available budget.