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Doctoral School
 
 

                                                                              #8

September 2023

                                                                                                                                 

 
 
 
 

PhD Capsule

News & Events of the Doctoral School

 

 
 
 
 
Welcome back from your summer holidays and have a great start to the new academic year! We hope you were able to recharge your batteries and that the benefits of your holiday will last until Christmas at least...
 
 

Doctoral Program Directors | Appointments 

Congratulations to Giovanni Boero, who has been appointed Program Director in EDMI with effect from 01.09.2023. We wish him every success in this role. 


EPFL - ETH Zürich Summer schools | Call for projects in 2024

Are you interested in organizing a summer school to explore a topic that you find important? EPFL and ETH Zürich are funding a number of selected summer schools, which are organized by doctoral candidates from within the ETH Domain. You may apply for up to an amount of approx. CHF 20,000. The call for applications to organize a summer school in 2024 is open until 1 October 2023.

More information


Transversal Skills Courses | Dates for the fall semester

Dates have been set for the fall semester for two new EDOC transversal skills courses that have been announced recently. 

The Practice of Ethics in Engineering Research (ENG-641) | 4 October - 8 December (Wednesdays), 13-15:00 | 30 participants max. 

This course will enhance your ability to act upon ethical challenges and innovate sustainably and inclusively. You will learn to analyse cause–effect relations defining ethical challenges by using the method of wicked problem mapping. Ethics will be described as a by-product of an interaction between you and the context you operate in – e.g. data, materials, people and processes deployed on your research project – to show how these relations may generate challenging situations for society and the environment. This course will involve seminars, workshops, and discussions to enhance your understanding of how decision-making defines ethical challenges and how to create a feasible strategy. Experts from the industry will discuss with you how to model ethics to push the boundaries of your knowledge, skills and experience. On the final day of the course, you will present your wicked problem map at an EPFL venue and share your ideas to invite guests.  The course is given by Dr Laura Ferrarello. 

Motion Design for Scientists (ENG-640) | 13, 20, 27 November (Mondays), all day (9-17:00)

This is an introductory course to motion design for science. You do not need to have experience in the software. It is designed to empower students with skills in motion design, allowing them to breathe life into their ideas & scientific figures. You will work on exercises to animate scientific images, build towards animating a figure, then each student will design & animate their own work. By the end of the final day, participants will present their personal projects and the class will offer feedback. Teachers: Robbie I'Anson Price, Alexandre Pinault. 


Funding opportunity | EPFL Doc.Mobility

Enhance your research experience and develop your scientific network through a stay abroad. The 5th call for project proposals is open. The EPFL Doc.Mobility offers financial support to doctoral students enrolled at EPFL who wish to carry out a research stay abroad in order to acquire more in-depth scientific knowledge, develop their scientific network and progress in their thesis within the scope of the awarded mobility. It is granted for a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months. The deadline for application submission is 1 October 2023 at 17:00h (CET). 

More information


Family and work-life | Robert Gnehm Grant for Parent Doctoral Students

The Robert Gnehm Grant for parent doctoral students aims to support doctoral students who are young parents, offering flexibility to devote more time to their child and temporarily reduce their research workload. One objective is to free them from tasks that can be delegated to others, such as laboratory work or teaching. Additionally, it may provide financial support through the prolongation of the PhD contract or reduction of work rate.

More information


Find support | Trust Point

Trust Point is the gateway to the services offered by EPFL's Trust & Support Network. Thanks to this tool, it's easy to find support. It can be accessed via the EPFL Campus App or the Trust Point website. You will find there a series of videos explaining the main psychosocial risks, and with just a few clicks you will be guided to the services that are best suited to your situation.

More information 


Event | EPFL Services Day 

The EFPL Services Day will be held beneath the arches of the Rolex Learning Center on 26 September 2023 from 12:00h to 13:30h. Come and learn about the services and benefits offered to help students and doctoral candidates to study under the best possible conditions. This event takes place at the same location and time as the Association Week and the Doctoral School will also be present, so do not hesitate to come and visit our stand. 

More information


Event | PhD Welcome 

The Doctoral School kindly invites the EPFL doctoral community for a PhD Welcome & Networking Event taking place on 20 November 2023, from 15:00h in the Forum Rolex. Whether you're new to EPFL or have been here for a while, you are based outside the Lausanne campus or not, this is a great opportunity to meet your peers and other members of the doctoral community from all our campuses and beyond. The programme for the event includes:

  • brief information sessions on the doctoral journey, life in Switzerland and the resources available at EPFL
  • testimonials from current EPFL doctoral candidates and PhD student representatives
  • panel discussion and Q&A with members of the community and heads of services to answer all your questions
  • exhibition of the services available on campus: Student Services Desk, Research Office, Technology Transfer Office, EPFL Library, Trust and Support Network, Teaching Support Center, Associations (Polydoc, ACIDE), and many more...
  • aperitif

More information


Event | Research and Doctoral Awards Ceremony

We are delighted to invite you to the Research and Doctoral Awards Ceremony that will be held on 23 November 2023 from 17:00h in the Forum Rolex. The aim of this ceremony is to confer the EPFL Research and Doctoral Awards to the laureates and to congratulate all doctoral candidates who have successfully completed their thesis between November 2022 and November 2023. This year is special as we are also celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Doctoral School. The programme for this event includes: 

  • EPFL Doctorate Award presentation
  • EPFL Research Awards presentation
  • Commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Doctoral School
  • Collective celebration of the doctoral graduates
  • Aperitif with music

Further information and personal invitations will follow.

 
 

Stay informed

by visiting the Doctoral School's "News & Events" website or subscribe to the EDOC News channel and Memento.

 

Contact: edoc.news@epfl.ch