ECR Short Term Visiting Fellowship

The ECR Short Term Visiting Fellowship is a funding instrument of the NCCR Evolving Language. It is explicitly framed as an incoming short term visiting fellowship and is designed to support selected visiting doctoral and advanced master students.

The fellowship aims to foster international exchange, support emerging researchers, and enable early academic connections between visiting students and the NCCR community. A particular goal is to facilitate encounters with NCCR Principal Investigators, research groups and labs, and to support the exploration of potential future collaborations and joint funding opportunities.

For questions regarding the Visiting Fellowship, please contact the NCCR Evolving Language Education Office at

About the NCCR Evolving Language

The Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Evolving Language is a nationwide interdisciplinary research consortium bringing together research groups from the humanities, from language and computer science, the social sciences, and the natural sciences at an unprecedented level. Together, we aim at solving one of humanity’s great mysteries: What is language? How did our species develop the capacity for linguistic expression, for processing language in the brain, and for consistently passing down new variations to the next generation? How will our capacity for language change in the face of digital communication and neuroengineering? A strong emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary collaboration, methodological innovation and the support of early career researchers.
Fellowship format and duration
The Visiting Fellowship supports participation in a three week programme, taking place from 30 August to 17 September 2027, consisting of:

One week of online courses (30 August – 3 September 2027)

Participation in the in person NCCR Summer School 2027 (6–10 September 2027)

Attendance at NCCR colloquia and seminars (13–17 September 2027)

Coordinated meetings with NCCR PIs, research groups and labs, based on the fellow’s research interests (13–17 September 2027)

Meetings with NCCR members will be coordinated centrally by the NCCR office, based on expressions of interest submitted by fellows during the application process.

Approximately 20 visiting fellows are expected to be hosted as Summer School guests.
Eligibility
Applications are open to visiting doctoral students and advanced master students who:

are affiliated with institutions outside Switzerland

demonstrate a clear academic interest in the research themes of the NCCR Evolving Language
Funding schemes
Two funding schemes are available.

Partial Visiting Fellowship: contribution of up to CHF 2,000, intended for applicants who have access to additional funding from their home institution or other sources

Full Visiting Fellowship: full coverage of eligible travel and accommodation costs, available only to applicants who confirm that no alternative funding sources are available from their home institution or other sources to support international visits or Summer School participation

Eligible costs may include:

international and domestic travel to and within Switzerland

accommodation costs during the fellowship period

Visa costs (if applicable)
Conditions
Reimbursement procedure
Application and selection procedure
Applications must be submitted via the application form below and include the following documents:

Curriculum vitae (CV)

Proof of enrolment or degree (doctoral enrolment certificate or master’s/PhD diploma)

Motivation letter (maximum one page), including:

academic background and research interests

areas of interest within the NCCR

indication of NCCR PIs, labs or research fields the applicant would like to engage with

Applicants will also be asked to:

indicate the preferred funding scheme (partial or full)

confirm, in the case of full funding, the absence of alternative funding sources

Expressions of interest in meeting specific NCCR members will be used to coordinate meetings centrally.

Selection will be based on the following principles:

fulfilment of formal eligibility requirements

academic fit with the NCCR Evolving Language research agenda

motivation and potential benefit of the visit for both the applicant and the NCCR

feasibility and budget considerations

In cases of applications of equal quality, priority may be given to applicants for whom access to international funding opportunities is limited.

Timeline and communication

Application deadline: January 2026

Decision communication: February 2026

Selected fellows will receive detailed information on practical arrangements, reimbursement procedures and participation in NCCR activities.

Registration Form ECR Short Term Visiting Fellowship