ECTRIMS Research Fellowship Program 2027 in Switzerland

The ECTRIMS Research Fellowship Program 2027 is designed for young neuroscientists from around the world. It aims to support their involvement in basic, clinical, or applied research relevant to multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. The program's main objective is to enhance knowledge sharing and expand the community of research scientists dedicated to addressing challenges in the field of multiple sclerosis. This is a postdoctoral research training fellowship, with a duration of one or two years, to be conducted in a European laboratory or clinic.

This fellowship offers annual funding of 55,000 EUR. It also covers economy transportation expenses for the fellow from their home location to the host institute and back, which will be reimbursed upon submission of receipts. Additionally, ECTRIMS provides separate support for travel and accommodation for fellows to participate in annual ECTRIMS congresses, where they are expected to present their research findings. The funding is paid directly to the host institution, which then employs the fellow and pays the stipend according to its policies.

- Open to scientists and physicians of any nationality holding or being candidates for an MD, PhD, ScD, or equivalent professional degree. The qualifying degree must be obtained by the time of application. - Research training must be undertaken in a European laboratory or clinic. - Applicants must have an interest in research training revolving around multiple sclerosis (MS) or related diseases, with research topics directly related to MS. - At the time of application, applicants should not have worked in any capacity at the same institution and/or under the same mentor proposed in the fellowship application. - Applicants are recommended to have no more than five years of postdoctoral experience beyond their final degree at the time of application. - Successful applicants should generally be under 40 years of age at the time of application, though exceptions may be considered under special circumstances. - Language proficiency is essential; both candidates and mentors must confirm that there will be no language barriers hindering the training experience in the local language of the host institution. - For European citizens, the selected laboratory or clinic must be located in a different European country from the applicant’s citizenship. - For all applicants, the fellowship must take place at a different institute and in a different country from the fellow’s current placement. - Applicants are restricted to one application per annual cycle across all fellowship categories.

- Completed online application form. - Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae (CV) and bibliography. - Statement of Intent, including goals and career plans. - Research project description of no more than 5 pages, including figures, tables, and references. - Confirmation of the applicant’s ability to communicate in the local language used at the host institution. - Documents from the proposed mentor, host training institute, and professional referees. - All supporting documents must be submitted as PDFs through the online application system.

To apply, you must complete the online application form through the myECTRIMS portal. Applicants are responsible for collecting all required supporting documents from themselves, their proposed mentor, host institute, and referees, and uploading them as PDFs through the online application system. ECTRIMS Research Fellowships are granted through a competitive review process managed by the ECTRIMS Fellowship Committee. Applications are evaluated based on the candidate’s qualifications, educational background, career plans, research plan (scientific quality, innovation, feasibility), and commitment to collaboration and knowledge exchange. The qualifications and attributes of the intended fellowship mentor and host institution will also be closely examined.

Fellows have the flexibility to allocate up to 10% of their time to teaching or clinical care not directly tied to a research project or additional coursework. Fellowships must commence before the end of the calendar year in which the fellowship has been awarded. Institutes are not limited to the number of applications they can submit, however, the same mentor may not be proposed in more than one application per cycle across all categories. Per award cycle, institutes are limited to a total of 3 awards among all fellowship categories and only 1 award within any given category. Successful fellows and their mentors will be required to provide progress and financial accounting reports.