Project Coop UA-CH

This call is directed to young Ukrainian scientists, professionals with academic training or with a position in the thematic fields of the project Cooperation in Forest Research Ukraine-Switzerland (2017-2020)1 who envisage applying for a scholarship at the Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland.

Goal of the scientific exchange

The main goal of the scholarships is to improve the qualifications of the guests in fields that help them to pursue a scientific career. A further goal is to develop ideas about future cooperation projects and topics, and to move them towards implementation during and beyond the cooperation project.

Potential applicants

The 2020 call (published in December 2019) is directed to young professionals with academic training or a position in the thematic fields (see project website1 ) of the Cooperation project who are affiliated with a Ukrainian institution. Specifically, we invite applications from Master and PhD students, postdocs or young scientists up to the age of 40 years. Applicants involved in the project or sub-projects (e.g., representatives of partner NGOs) do also qualify. All applicants must be fluent in English. Further calls may follow in 2020.

Potential elements of the guest stay

• Improving disciplinary skills in fields relevant for the cooperation project
• Gaining knowledge about research methods, techniques and statistical methods
• Analyzing data and writing scientific papers
• Cooperating in WSL research projects
• Acquiring skills in the development of research proposals

Organization of the guest stays

For each stay, a responsible host person at WSL is designated. The host will make sure that the guest is well integrated and supervised. He/she may involve additional supervisors. The responsible host will organize the stay (including authorization of the cantonal migration office), supported by the Human Resources Department of WSL and the Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Peter Brang. Getting the working permit from Swiss authorities usually takes 10-12 weeks.

The minimum duration of a stay is 2 weeks, the maximum 3 months.

Preparation of the application

Applicants need to identify a host (project or sub-project leader of the Cooperation project). The host and the applicant prepare a proposal (2 pages in English) describing the motivation, planned activities, the intended start and duration, and anticipated benefits for the Cooperation project.

The applicant submits the proposal, his/her CV and language certificates if available to Dr. Peter Brang (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ), who will discuss it with the host and take the final decision. The main criteria are:

• Contribution to the goal of the Scientific exchange activities (see ‘Goal of the scientific exchange’)
• Accordance with the specific requirements of the 2020 Call (see ‘Potential applicants’)
• Long-term perspective of the applicant to pursue a scientific career
• Contribution to anticipated products (e.g. practical skills and experience for curricula development)
• Potential for follow-up research cooperation in the thematic fields of cooperation
• Availability of the host for supervision

The deadline forsubmission of applications is 31 January 2020. The applicants will be informed about the decision around 20 February 2020.

Reporting

The guest is expected to give a short presentation on his research in Ukraine and on the activities planned during his visit, ideally at the beginning of the stay at WSL. At the end of the stay, a presentation about the achievements is encouraged.

Financial matters

The project funds living costs in Switzerland, the rent of a place to stay, vouchers for meals in the WSL canteen, and any expenses needed including travel from Ukraine to Switzerland and related administrative fees (e.g. visa). Funds are also available for work-related travel within Switzerland.

Communication

This document will be made available on the website of the cooperation project, and distributed by the project partners.

Birmensdorf, Switzerland, 13 December 2019