Engineering for Development (ETH4D) Doctoral Mentorship Programme 2024

Engineering for Development (ETH4D) is a wide-reaching initiative within the ETH community that is focused on fostering innovation to tackle global challenges. Additionally, it is committed to educating and nurturing future leaders in the field of sustainable development. This initiative underscores ETH’s dedication to making a positive impact on a global scale by promoting sustainable solutions and nurturing the talents that will drive progress in this crucial area.

Title: ETH4D Doctoral Mentorship Programme

Location: Zurich, Switzerland

ETH4D offers grants to mentor doctoral candidates from low- and lower-middle-income countries. This mentorship program spans one year and includes the following components:

• Mentorship: Doctoral candidates receive guidance from an ETH professor, senior scientist, or postdoc throughout one year of their doctoral studies. The mentorship involves monthly meetings and well-defined project goals, such as presenting at conferences or co-authoring publications. While ETH mentors can serve on the doctoral committee, it’s not mandatory.
• Research Stay: During the mentorship period, candidates have the opportunity to conduct a research stay with their mentor’s group at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. This stay typically lasts for 1-3 months.
• Financial Support: ETH4D provides financial assistance for attending conferences and obtaining necessary research materials.

Eligibility:

• Doctoral candidates who are registered at a university or research institute in least-developed, low-, and lower-middle-income countries, as per the OECD/DAC 2022-2023 list, are eligible for this program. Applications must be submitted by the hosting ETH professorship and will not be considered if submitted directly by the doctoral candidate.

Expenses Covered: The grant covers expenses up to a maximum of 15,000 CHF, which includes:

• Economy roundtrip ticket to and from Switzerland for the research stay (max. 2,000 CHF)
• Visa fees
• Travel allowance for attending academic conferences
• Research materials (e.g., lab equipment, max 6,000 CHF in total)
• Health insurance fees
• Local transportation
• Accommodation
• Living allowance during the research stay at ETH Zurich

Application Documents: To apply for the program, the following documents are required:

• Budget (template provided)
• Project description (following criteria outlined in the document)
• Motivation letter from the doctoral candidate (1 page)
• Most recent university transcripts
• CV of the doctoral candidate (max. 2 pages) including publications
• Two academic reference letters
• Doctoral project proposal (if available)
• Support letter from the hosting ETH professor, including financial and in-kind contributions (if the mentor is a senior scientist or postdoc, both the mentor and their professor must sign the support letter).

Deadline: 31 October 2023.

How to Apply: Interested candidates should Click Here to apply online.

Note:

• Please read the DownloadEligibility Criteria and Application Requirements (PDF, 168 KB)vertical_align_bottom before applying.
• All application documents must be written in English submitted electronically in the form below.
• There are four application deadlines per year: 31 January, 30 April, 30 June, 31 October.
• Next application deadline is 31 October 2023.
• You will be notified of the decision 5-6 weeks after the deadline.

Visit the Official Website of the Engineering for Development (ETH4D) Doctoral Mentorship Programme 2024