FAQs

No, this program is only offered to students in the 2nd or 3rd year of their Bachelor’s degree.

Unfortunately, 1st year Bachelor’s students are not eligible. This program is offered to students in the 2nd or 3rd year of their Bachelor’s degree only.

No, the Summer in the Lab program is only intended for regular EPFL students.

Yes, EPFL students who are in exchange can apply for the program as long as they are back in Lausanne for the start of the internship during the summer holiday.

Please note that if you are in exchange and you do not hold a Swiss citizenship, a proof of registration with the municipality where you will be residing during the internship will be required to establish the hiring contract.

The program is very competitive and an overall average of at least 5,0/6 at the end of the 1st year of the Bachelor’s degree is necessary to apply. 

Yes, we accept students in this situation, as long as they pursue their Master’s degree at EPFL and not in another institution.

Yes, applications can be submitted in either French or English. However, it is advised to submit your documents in English if the lab Head that you have selected are not French-speaking.

The motivation letter will be sent to the labs for your placement. You may write three different paragraphs in one letter or choose to write three separate letters.

In the latter case, please assemble them into one single PDF for the upload of the application package. We will separate them and distribute them to each lab concerned.

No, we will contact them directly with the necessary instructions.

Nonetheless, we recommend that you inform them in advance to avoid them being surprised by the process.

No, the referees can submit their letters until December 10. It is your responsibility to ensure that we receive your references before this deadline.

You can check the status of your references via the application form, once it has been validated.

Yes, you can ask a professor to write you a reference letter. It is advisable to choose references who know you well and who can provide you with a good reference letter.

The internships must last exactly eight weeks. Interns may agree to a longer internship duration with their lab, but the Summer in the Lab scholarship remains fixed.

Exceptions for a shorter internship might be made depending on the hiring lab.

The start and end dates of the internship are flexible as long as they are between May and September. The dates should be defined with the labs according to their availability.

Interns are entitled to four days off during the two-month internship. These days off must be taken in agreement with the lab.

Yes, they are a mandatory part of the Summer in the Lab program. You must participate in all transversal skills development activities in person, otherwise you will not receive the official certificate of completion for the Summer in the Lab program .

All interns are expected to attend the research symposium where you will present your work. If you are unable to attend for legitimate reasons (e.g., starting your exchange year abroad), you will be required to submit a 3-minute video presenting the research you conducted over summer.