EPFL Doc.Mobility

This grant is aimed at doctoral students enrolled at EPFL who wish to improve their scientific and professional profile through a research stay in an academic institution abroad.

The EPFL Doc.Mobility program will terminate at the end of 2024, and until then there will be no further calls for applications. A new scheme is in preparation for 2025, details of which will be announced later in the year.

EPFL’s Doc.Mobility is the successor of the SNSF’s Doc.Mobility instrument, which was discontinued at the end of 2020. As such, it is jointly funded by Swissuniversities and EPFL and managed by the EPFL Doctoral School.

The EPFL Doc.Mobility grant offers financial support to doctoral students who wish to carry out a research stay abroad in order to acquire more in-depth scientific knowledge, to develop their scientific network and to progress in their thesis within the scope of the awarded mobility. It is granted for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months.

The EPFL Doc.Mobility scheme will conclude at the end of 2024.

The grant is available to doctoral students in all disciplines represented at EPFL provided they meet the following conditions:

have been registered for at least 12 months as a doctoral student
successfully passed the candidacy exam at the time of the start of the research stay
not be funded by a project of the Swiss National Research Foundation (SNSF)
be of Swiss nationality, hold a valid residence permit or a valid cross-border commuter permit, be married to or living in a registered partnership with a Swiss citizen

Travel expenses

EPFL pays a contribution to the beneficiaries and their accompanying family members for a round trip for the entire duration of the fellowship between their usual place of residence (e.g. Switzerland) and their research stay location.

Costs of participation in scientific conferences/congresses/workshops

A maximum amount of CHF 2,000 per year

Research costs

Applicants may apply for a contribution to cover the costs essential for the realisation of their research project, up to a maximum of CHF 3,000 per year, provided that they can prove that the host institution does not provide such benefits.

Tuition fees

Applicants may apply for a subsidy of up to 75%, but not exceeding CHF 15,000 per year, of the tuition fees to be paid to the host institution, provided that they can prove that the host institution has not waived the fees.

Family allowances

EPFL pays beneficiaries with children an allowance of CHF 12,000 per year per child. Allowances for children granted by third parties are deducted from this allowance.

Expenses for family members (spouse, partner) may also be considered up to a maximum of CHF 4,000 per year, provided that these persons accompany the doctoral student during the entire stay.

Personal living expenses

The grant does not include a contribution to personal living expenses, such as rent in the host country. These must be covered by the EPFL salary that the doctoral students will continue to receive during their mobility stay.

Doctoral students will be registered at EPFL during their stay abroad. Their existing doctoral employment contract at EPFL will remain in force. For the duration of the stay, half of the salary will be covered by the Doc.Mobility grant, while half needs to continue to be covered by their usual funding source.

There are two deadlines per year for the submission of applications.

Complete applications must be submitted by doctoral students in electronic format via the dedicated Google Form.

Applications must contain the following documents:

a CV of two pages maximum
the transcript of Doctoral School credits
a project proposal (using the template provided)
a copy of the last salary slip
a copy of any financial contribution received from other organisations or institutions related to their thesis
a letter of support (using the templates provided)
Partnership and/or family certificate, if applicable