Academic Careers

Anyone desiring to remain in research after obtaining the doctorate should plan further career steps carefully: in the coming years it is key that your scientific autonomy grows, that you are willing to do research in different institutions (mobility), that you are successfull in raisinng third-party funding, and that you will establish a supporting scientific and personal Network with the aim of developing an excellent research profile and an excellent track record with the prospect of adequate positions.

The habilitation is common mainly at German-speaking universities and is a requirement for a professorship in most fields, but has less importance in natural and life sciences.

Two different grades are awarded at the University of Basel:
a) Doctor habilitatus (Dr. habil.) confirms the facultas docendi, i.e. the ability to independently represent their field of study in both research and teaching at the university level.
b) For the award of the academic title «Privatdozent» or «Privatdozentin», the venia legendi is based on a written work (the Habilitationsschrift) and a trial lecture or the fulfillment of other suitable requirements in the field in question.

Assistant professors aim at the further scientific qualification and the acquirement of a professorship. There exist an non-tenured assistant professorship and a tenure track assistant professorship. The first is a fixed term employement of five years. Afterwards an Associate Professorship position has to be found at an other research institution. The tenure track assistant professorships leads upon a successful evaluation to an Associate Professorship.

As an integrative funding instrument, the SNSF Starting Grants cover the ERC Starting Grants as a transitional measure on the one hand, and replace the SNSF funding instruments PRIMA and Eccellenza (assistant professorship) on the other. The call is open to researchers who want to lead their own research project and research team at a university in Switzerland. The funding instrument is open to all disciplines. Researchers from all countries can participate. Applicants can request a budget of a maximum of CHF 1.8 million for a period of five years.

The planned SNSF Professorial Fellowships were announced by the SNSF at the beginning of 2022 as a new instrument that would merge PRIMA and Eccellenza and form the highest level of career funding. As a transitional measure, due to Switzerland's non-association to the Horizon Europe framework program, the integrative SNSF Starting Grants were announced. This currently also covers the announced SNSF Professorial Fellowships. Therefore, the SNSF will not advertise this new instrument for the time being.