FMI Basel Switzerland Ph.D. Fellowship in Switzerland
Applicants must hold, or anticipate receiving before enrollment, a university degree that would formally qualify them to enter a PhD or equivalent program in their home country (MSc., Diploma, DEA etc.)
Admission is competitive, involving a selection procedure that takes place twice a year (in January and June). The deadline for applications is 1.5-2 months prior to the selection procedure (in November and May).
Duration
A course of study at the FMI leading to a PhD degree of the University of Basel typically lasts four to five years. Thesis defenses take place at the FMI and are public.
Mentoring & support
The main supervisor and mentor of the PhD student is the leader of the research group. Students are also supported by their thesis advisory committee composed of internal and external experts whom the students choose together with their supervisor. The FMI put in place mentoring guidelines and conducts lab surveys on a regular basis to maintain excellence in mentoring.
Additional academic advice, professional development support and advocacy on behalf of the students is also available through the FMI Dean of Students and the Guidance Counsellor.
As Dean of Students, Marc Bühler acts as an academic liaison with the University of Basel. He offers confidential, impartial advice, and can help resolve problems by acting as a neutral intermediary between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University and the FMI.
As Guidance Counsellor, Piera Cicchetti offers individual counselling to promote the academic and professional development of students and resolve difficulties. She attends thesis committee meetings to support best practices, develops the training curriculum, and organizes professional development activities with students and postdocs.
Graduate courses
Together with the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, the Department of Biomedicine of the University of Basel, the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE) of the ETH, and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (TPH), the FMI participates in an international and interdisciplinary graduate teaching program in the areas of
- neurobiology
- cell biology
- developmental biology
- biophysical chemistry
- structural biology
- systems biology
- bioinformatics
- infection biology
PhD students are required to complete 12 semester-hours of coursework during their PhD thesis.
» Graduate Teaching Program (on the Biozentrum website)
Compensation
The FMI provides financial support to graduate students in accordance with the scale of the Swiss National Science Foundation. Salary is generous relative to international standards for PhD students.