Junior Fellowships at the Collegium Helveticum 2023/24 in Zürich

The  is pleased to announce a call for junior fellowships within its interdisciplinary . The fellowships start 1 September 2023 and last for ten months. The application deadline is 1 March 2023 (23:59 CET).

Are you looking to realize your own project? If your work is unconventional and cuts across disciplines, the Collegium Helveticum provides ideal working conditions to pursue your own project. As the joint institute of advanced studies of ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich (UZH), and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), the Collegium Helveticum offers academics and artists a highly international and interdisciplinary environment. 

The fellowship program encourages and supports exchange and collaboration across disciplinary boundaries. Located in the historic Semper Observatory, the Collegium and its interdisciplinary fellowship program offer ideal conditions for a thriving culture of dialogue and a creative environment for innovative academic and artistic projects. The Collegium profits from its integration into the innovative ecosystem of Zurich’s distinguished universities.

The junior fellowship program aims to attract promising early-career researchers and artists working in any disciplines represented at one of its three supporting universities, including the humanities and social sciences; economics and law; natural and physical sciences; engineering and technology; life sciences and medicine; the arts, architecture, design, and music. 

We also encourage small interdisciplinary teams of up to three people to apply with a joint project. Junior fellowships at the Collegium Helveticum are not intended to support doctoral dissertations.

The fellowship year runs from 1 September 2023 to 30 June 2024. Junior fellows are employed as postdoctoral researchers (100%) at ETH Zurich for the duration of the fellowship. Applicants need to have a confirmed doctorate in an academic discipline or a comparable degree from an art school. The degree must have been obtained no longer than five years prior to the start of the fellowship. An official confirmation of completion of degree from the respective university or art school is required and must be included to the application. Care work (12 months per child), career breaks, or part-time employment count against the five-year threshold and need to be documented with the application and indicated in the CV with a brief explanation. The Collegium is a family friendly workplace. Therefore, applications proposing joint research in job-sharing will be considered. Junior fellows are required to be present at the Collegium on weekdays to create ample opportunity for exchange and collaboration. 

Applicants need to submit a short description of their project and an event they are planning to carry out during the ten-month fellowship. Furthermore, a letter of support from a faculty member at ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, or the Zurich University of the Arts is required. The faculty member would join the Collegium Helveticum as an associate fellow. Associate fellows are established researchers or artists affiliated with one of the supporting universities. Usually, associate fellows are tenured or tenure-track faculty. If this is not the case, two associate fellows may jointly support a junior fellow with a co-signed letter of recommendation. One of the co-signers must be a professor or department chair. 

Please consult the  for more details including information about eligibility and the application process. There, you will also find the link to the online application portal.

We are looking for junior fellows with an international or with background at ETHZ, UZH, or ZHdK

• who seek to benefit from and contribute to a vibrant community fostering interdisciplinary exchange 
• who propose innovative research projects that transgress disciplinary boundaries
• who have a clear vision of what they want to achieve

Junior fellows are provided with a desk, access to IT and library infrastructure as well as a computer if required. Associate fellows may agree to integrate fellows into their group part-time and provide infrastructure for their research. Since the Collegium cannot provide laboratory infrastructure or studio space, you can arrange to use up to 40% of your time to do work outside of the Semper Observatory if this is essential for the proposed project or furthers their skills in important ways. Usually, such arrangements would be made in close cooperation with the associate fellow and require approval by the Collegium’s directorate. The Collegium Helveticum cannot provide housing for its junior fellows. 

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.