The application process involves four main steps. Applicants will be notified at the end of each step.
Please refer to the EFF Team page for the complete and updated list of members of the EFF Managing Committee and the EFF Scientific Panel.
Selection process
Key Dates
Selection Process
Preliminary Screening
The EFF Managing Committee initially screens applications for completeness and eligibility. This process will take up to 4 weeks from the end of the call for applications.
Referee Review
An external panel of referees selected by the EFF Scientific Panel examines the applications, providing overall advice. The review period lasts up to ten weeks.
Ranking
The EFF Managing Committee and the EFF Scientific Panel compile the final ranking of applicants based on the referees’ assessments. The criteria used to evaluate the applications are described below.
Fellowships are awarded according to this ranking, and the number of awards depends on the available budget.
Accepting
The fellowship winner has one week to accept or decline the offer. If declined, the next eligible applicant is considered. If accepted, the CSTQ will arrange the fellowship transfer with the awardee’s institution, and the fellowship can officially start. Note that this process require up to a few months.
How we evaluate the applications?
Each application will be reviewed by two expert anonymous referees, selected by the EFF Managing Committee and the EFF Scientific Panel.
During the final ranking, the Managing Committee will aim to select a diverse cohort, taking into account the geographical distribution of the host institutions as well as the gender and cultural backgrounds of the selected candidates.
The referees will evaluate the applications considering the following criteria:
Quality of the Candidate
- Academic excellence and relevant competencies.
- Research track record and evidence of original scientific contributions.
- Preparation and alignment with the proposed project.
- Quality and complementarity of the proposed research groups.
Quality of the Proposal
- Coherence and plausibility of the proposed project.
- Clarity of the theory–experiment cross-training and its added value.
- Feasibility and soundness of the proposed methodology.
- Fit of the project within the scientific context of the involved research group(s).
- Relevance and originality of the research topic.
- Scientific depth and potential to address “big questions”.
