> When can I apply for the PhD & MD-PhD program at IOB?

Our yearly call for application opens in the fall. This year call for application closed on Nov 24th, 2024.

> WHEN IS THE STARTING DATE OF THE PROGRAM?

Successful candidates can start throughout the year, earliest start date would be March of the next year.

> WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THE PHD STUDIES?

Typically, the fellowship in our program covers 4-5 years.

> WHAT ARE THE EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS AND SALARY AT IOB?

IOB offers employment contracts for PhD students with compensation starting at around 48'000 CHF gross per year (with yearly increases) as well as social benefits.

> HOW MUCH ARE THE TUITION FEES?

There are no tuition fees for the PhD program as it is fully financed by IOB. However, students enrolled with the University of Basel (unibas) are subject to semester fees (CHF 350, which can be reimbursed by IOB). Learn more about it here.

Registration at the University of Basel also comes with additional benefits such as access to unibas sport, unibas library and subsidized access to the unibas cafeterias.

> WHAT ARE THE VISA REQUIREMENTS?

Students intending to pursue a PhD in Switzerland need to obtain visa and/or a residency/work permit.

The procedure will depend on your nationality, [link to visa information].

> WHAT ARE THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO JOIN PhD & MD-PhD PROGRAM AT IOB?

1. You are an outstanding student and aspiring to advance your research within IOB related research topics.
2. You hold (or anticipate having*) a Master's degree, MD or equivalent from a University in the fields of Natural Sciences, Medicine or Engineering.
3. You have a strong command of the English language.

*If you have not been awarded your degree by the time of application, you can send it afterwards to phd-program@iob.ch. Nevertheless, please be aware that your degree should be obtained prior to starting your PhD project at IOB.

> WHEN DOES THE APPLICATION START AND WHEN IS THE DEADLINE?

The IOB MD-PhD & PhD Program opens a yearly call for application. Our next call for application is scheduled for Fall 2025. The call is typically open for 6 weeks.

> CAN I UPDATE MY APPLICATION ONCE IT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED?

Once your application is submitted, it cannot be updated. We encourage you to thoroughly review the requirements outlined on the application portal, prepare your application accordingly, and then proceed with submission.

> WHAT ARE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR APPLICATION?

• CV & Letter of motivation
• Publication list (if available)
• Transcripts, certificates/diplomas in German, French, Italian or English (please explain your grading system. e.g in the swiss system 6 is for excellent, 1 for fail) . Please note that authenticated documents are not mandatory at this stage.
• Contact details of two referees, who will be asked to rate your performance and submit their evaluation.
• Additional documentation could be necessary depending on the specific situation.

Please note that all applications must be submitted through our application portal.

> HOW DO I PREPARE MY APPLICATION?

• Collect the necessary documents.
• Inform your referees that they can anticipate receiving an evaluation link via email.
• Review the research areas at IOB and the specific working group publications you aspire to join.

> WHO COULD SERVE AS MY REFEREE?

Your selected referees should possess a PhD and have engaged in recent and direct collaborative work with you. S/he can be either from an academic or industrial background. 

>IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE REFEREES TO SUBMIT THEIR EVALUATION THE SAME AS FOR THE CANDIDATES' APPLICATION?

Yes, the deadline is the same. We highly recommend reaching out to your referees a few days prior to the application deadline to ensure timely submission of their evaluation.

> DO I NEED UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION?

As an affiliated institute of the University of Basel, IOB does not directly award academic degrees. Students must enrol with the university for degree conferral. [Read more about the unibas registration procedure here.]

> HOW WILL MY APPLICATION BE ASSESSED?

Your application will undergo in two stages:

1. Initially, by the PhD management team, to determine eligibility and completeness.
2. Subsequently, applications that fulfill the entrance criteria will be evaluated by the Hiring managers at IOB. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PHD AND AN MD-PHD?

• The IOB MD-PhD program caters to individuals with a medical background who aspire to delve into extensive biological research through a PhD thesis. Prospective students must possess or expect to obtain a university degree that qualifies them for formal clinical training, such as a diploma in medicine, before enrolling.
• The IOB PhD program requires applicants to have or anticipate obtaining a university degree that formally qualifies them for entry into the PhD program (e.g., MSc., Diploma) before enrolment. The PhD program entails advanced specialized research aligned with the topics related to the IOB research scheme.

> WHAT ASPECTS SHOULD I FOCUS ON WHEN SUBMITTING MY APLICATION?

• Please note that it is not necessary for you to contact the Hiring manager when you submit your application; simply indicate the research group you wish to join.
• Ensure that all your entries on the application portal are in English.
• We accept certificates and transcripts in German, English, Italian or French. If your certificates are not in those langauge, please submit a translated version. Notorized translations are not required at this stage. 
• All your documents should be submitted as a single pdf. Please Name the merged application as follows: Name_Family Name_submission date DD.MM.YYYY.
• Please be aware that the emails with the evaluation links may occasionally end up in the spam folder. Kindly advise your referees to check their spam folders.
• Include the link to your publication(s).
• As double applications are not considered, kindly review your application thoroughly before submitting.

>We only consider applications submitted through our application portal. Any application received via email will not be taken into account.

> HOW MANY INTERVIEW ROUNDS WILL BE CONDUCTED?

The applicants chosen for further consideration based on their submitted applications will receive invitations for:

1. ONLINE PANEL INTERVIEWS. Depending on the project supervisors’ requirements, you may be requested to prepare a brief presentation (15-20 min). The online interviews are planned in early December 2024.
2.  IN-PERSON INTERVIEW DAYS. The top candidates are then invited to the second stage of the in-person interviews. The in-person interviews will take place in Basel, Switzerland. The interviews are expected to be scheduled around mid-January 2025. 

> HOW WILL MY TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION EXPENSES BE COVERED?

If you are invited for the interview days, our program will cover your travel and accommodation expenses. Details regarding reimbursement will be provided in alignment with the IOB travel reimbursement guidelines and will be sent along with the invitation email.

> WHEN WILL I BE INFORMED ABOUT MY ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM?

If selected, you will be informed of your admission to our PhD program around 2-3 weeks after the onsite interviews have taken place.

> WHERE WILL I BE WORKING?

The PhD positions are based at IOB in the city of Basel, in Switzerland. 

> WHAT IS THE WORKING LANGUAGE?

The working language of our PhD Program is English. 

> HOW MUCH DOES THE LIVING COSTS IN BASEL?

For information on the cost of living in Basel, including housing expenses, please see the Sample budget for students (source unibasel):

STUDY AND LIVING COSTS (per month)

Studying while living at home (1300-1500 CHF) Studying away from home (2200-2300 CHF)*

> WHERE CAN I FIND AN ACCOMMODATION IN BASEL?

Please refer to the uni-basel website

Other helpful links for furnished and non-furnished flats:

Flatfox

https://Madiba.ch

https://markt.unibas.ch/category/wohnen-angebot

https://en.comparis.ch/immobilien/default