NOMIS Foundation ETH Fellowship

The 2024 call for applications is open between 6 September and 8 November 2024.

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Overview

The NOMIS Foundation–ETH Fellowship Programme supports postdoctoral researchers at ETH Zurich within the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life. The programme is intended to foster the development of young interdisciplinary researchers in the field of the origin and prevalence of life who have demonstrated scientific excellence in the early stages of their careers, and to enable the conditions necessary to conduct interdisciplinary, fundamental and high-risk research with some level of independence and autonomy.

Applications have to be made jointly by the candidate and one or two potential hosts from two different disciplines, who must be ETH Zurich professors and willing to act as the mentors of the fellow. A professor may only support one candidate for a given call. There must be convincing synergies between the host groups and the NOMIS-ETH Fellow. The fellowships are intended as early support towards academic independence; hence priority will be given to applicants who propose their own projects. Thus, it is important that applicants come up with their own ideas and draft the application themselves.

Once appointed, NOMIS-ETH Fellows become an integral part of and have direct access to an international network of leading interdisciplinary researchers and institutions through the NOMIS collaborative research network.

The duration of a NOMIS-ETH Fellowship at ETH is three plus one year and cannot be prolonged. The fourth year is only granted after a review 18 months after the start of the fellowship and must be funded by the host professor(s). The fellowship is competitive with only a limited number of fellowships available each year. For a start in 2025, up to three new NOMIS–ETH Fellows will be selected.

Eligibility criteria

Applications within three years of obtaining a doctorate will be considered. In duly justified cases, applications falling outside this criterium may also be considered. Preferably, you already will have acquired your first postdoctoral experience and/or interdisciplinary training. You must have an existing affiliation to an academic/research institution.

Following the initial evaluation round, top-ranked candidates must be available for a remote interview.

A professor may only submit with one candidate in each evaluation round. At least one of the host professors (mentors) must have a guaranteed ETH position for the entire duration of the proposed fellowship. The hosts shall be members of the Centre. One of the hosts must commit to providing the allowance and any additional support required beyond the fellowship allowance to carry out the research project as well as resources for the fourth year, provided the candidate successfully passes the review process.

It is not possible to resubmit an application for a NOMIS–ETH Postdoctoral Fellowship following a rejection in a previous call for applications.

Applications are to be made jointly by the candidate and their prospective mentor(s), who must be ETH professors. The application must include the following:

cover letter with signature and date.
complete CV with publication list and picture; important: all dates must at least include month and year.
description of the research project - template document provided - including
- specific role and input, as well as how the NOMIS–ETH Fellow’s project relates to other research directions in the host group and the Centre,
- brief outline of your career goals (1 page),
- description of the interdisciplinary nature, the high-risk/outside-the-box character of the proposed research and the synergy of the proposal with the Centre’s mission.
invitation letter from one of the host professors describing why you are an excellent candidate and a statement of financial support for year 4.
completed form concerning ethical issues and research requiring authorization or notification; template document provided.
signed NOMIS code of conduct; template document provided.
two external letters of reference for the candidate, to be e-mailed by the author of the letter directly to the Managing Office of the Center for Origin and Prevalence of Life before the application deadline ()

There is one NOMIS-ETH Fellowship call per year. Applications should be submitted electronically via the ETH job platform “ETH Zurich Job Board”. The reference letters must be sent directly to the Managing Office of the Centre (email: ).

The evaluation consists of two steps. First, the written applications (including reference letters) will be evaluated by the NOMIS-ETH Fellowship Selection Panel at ETH. The results of this initial evaluation will be communicated to the applicants before the end of the year of the call. Second, candidates whose applications pass the first step will be invited to a remote interview before mid-January by the Selection Panel at ETH. The applicants will be informed by the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life about the decision/offer no later than mid-February.

It is not possible to resubmit a NOMIS Postdoctoral Fellowship application following a rejection.

Interview

The interviews last about 15 minutes and are mandatory. They are conducted end of January.

During the interview, applicants will be asked questions about their proposed research projects, the choice of the research labs, the particular strengths and skills they would bring to the host labs and the Centre, and how they would like the collaboration to develop, as well as about their future career prospects.

The funding decisions are based on a strict, quality-based evaluation process. Applications will be assessed against criteria addressing both the candidate’s aptitude as well as the quality of the proposed research and the synergy with the host labs and the Centre. Successful applications must be compelling in all respects.

The criteria pertaining to the candidate’s aptitude are based on the CV, the reference letters and the career outline and include

research performance and potential
track record relative to opportunities and career stage
competence for the proposed work and synergy with the host professorships and the Centre
compatibility of the NOMIS-ETH Fellowship with the career goals of the applicant
medium-term research vision

The criteria referring to the research proposal include

the scientific quality of the planned research
the interdisciplinary nature of the planned research
significance and innovativeness of the project
high-risk/out-of-the-box nature of the planned research
suitability of the proposed procedures
difficulties to be expected and chances of success
consideration of gender aspects where appropriate

The criteria referring to the synergies with the host labs and the Centre include

particular strengths and skills relevant to the host labs
added value and integration into the host labs and the Centre
ambition to move beyond his or her and the hosts’ previous research
embedding of the research within the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life

In line with DORA (The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, external page https://sfdora.org/), achievements will be assessed on the base of qualitative evaluations of a diverse range of research outputs and activities.

A NOMIS-ETH Fellowship Selection Panel at ETH will be established by the director of the Centre. The panel shall include members of the Centre and external experts where relevant. The director does not participate to the selection but is responsible for avoiding conflicts of interest and ensuring a fair and transparent process. The external page NOMIS Foundation does not participate in the selection of candidates.

ETH Zurich strives to promote gender equality in scientific research by integrating the gender dimension into the research content in all fields of research.

The applicant must state on Form Z01_Ethical Issues if the intended research requires authorization or notification. By filling in the form and signing the cover sheet the applicant confirms that they are aware of the legal regulations at the federal and cantonal levels that are relevant to the research project. Once a fellowship has been accepted for funding, copies of the authorization or notification must be sent to the Centre’s Managing Office.

Furthermore, the form gives instructions as to how to proceed if the intended research needs authorization or notification. This applies in particular to research on animals and pathogens.

NOMIS-ETH Fellows are familiar with the Guidelines for Research Integrity at ETH Zurich.

The duration of a NOMIS–ETH Fellowship is three years plus one extension year and cannot be prolonged. Employment after the granted time must be financed from other sources. Salaries are paid according to the ETH standard (100%). NOMIS-ETH Fellows are also entitled to an individual travel/mobility allowance and a contribution to the research costs not exceeding CHF 20'000 annually in total. The budget allocated for travel and research costs may not be used to cover salary costs, and vice versa. During the entire fellowship, the NOMIS-ETH Fellows must be employed at ETH Zurich on the basis of a valid working contract.

Adjustments of the salary may be made in adherence to the general ETH domain remuneration policy as defined by the ETH Board. Any extra costs associated with salary scale increases effected during the funding period must be borne by the host professorships.

NOMIS-ETH Fellows are expected to start their fellowship at the latest September 1 of the year following the call; approximately 10.5 months after the submission deadline. If they cannot adhere to this date, approval for a later start must be requested through the Centre’s Managing Office.

Whenever possible, Open Access should be granted to publications resulting from a NOMIS-ETH Fellowship, as per ETH’s Open Access Policy. Publication fees (APCs) are taken over by the ETH Library for most of the important journals. Otherwise, the research cost budget of the fellowship may be used to cover them. The fellowship programme must be acknowledged in publications, conference presentations (including abstracts), and symposia, e.g., in the form “The NOMIS Foundation ETH Fellowship Programme and related research are made possible thanks to the support of the NOMIS Foundation”.

To monitor and improve the programme, each NOMIS-ETH Fellow is requested to submit a final report within four weeks after completion of their fellowship to the Centre’s Managing Office. The relevant request and form will be sent to the applicant in due course.

The NOMIS-ETH Fellow is expected to actively participate in the Centre for Origin and Prevalence of Life by attending events therein and by giving a presentation at the midpoint and end of the fellowship.

NOMIS-ETH Fellows are actively involved in NOMIS events and activities (as their schedule permits) and establish independent research ties with other members of the network and beyond.

NOMIS-ETH Fellows are also expected to be given the opportunity to take part in the teaching activities of their host groups, to a certain extent. The proposed teaching duties and an estimate of the average load must be specified in the application.

NOMIS-ETH Fellows must sign the code of conduct of the NOMIS Foundation.

After the candidates have been selected and the offers have been sent out, the NOMIS Foundation ETH Fellowship programme will share the applications with the NOMIS Foundation if the applicant permits.

The NOMIS Foundation supports and enables insight-driven science across all disciplines, focusing on researchers who put forth bold new ideas, exhibit a pioneering spirit and seek to inspire the world around them. The foundation’s vision is to “create a spark” in the world of science by enabling pioneering research in the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities that benefits humankind and our planet.

The foundation serves as a catalyst for scientific and human progress by supporting interdisciplinary research, establishing collaborative research networks and developing strategic partnerships. In addition to providing financial support, NOMIS endeavors to develop and strengthen the conditions conducive to the pursuit of high-risk basic research.

To learn more about the NOMIS Foundation and the research they support, please visit external page NOMIS Foundation.