1. BACKGROUND
The Academic Swiss Caucasus Net (ASCN) is a programme aiming at supporting and promoting human and social sciences in the South Caucasus. Among its various components, the ASCN contains a grants programme. The ASCN offers short-term grants (one week for participation in a conference; one to three month for research visits) to scholars from Georgia and Armenia who have a strong scientific potential in the above- mentioned disciplines and the desire to make a career in the academic world. Applicants must be residing in Georgia or Armenia.
The ASCN programme is supported by GEBERT RÜF STIFTUNG. It is run and coordinated by the Interfaculty Institute for Central and Eastern Europe of the University of Fribourg (IICEE).
2. OBJECTIVE
The ASCN short-term grants offer grantees the opportunity to come to Switzerland for a period of one week to three months in order to participate in conferences, extend their academic network and gain added-value to their scientific work. Grants are especially foreseen to work on a research project, to establish or strengthen contacts withSwitzerland-based scholars, initiate scientific cooperation or attend conferences. Grants lasting more than 8 days are restricted to visitors to the University of Fribourg.
3. REGULATIONS
3.1 Eligibility
Applicants for ASCN grants:
i.must be Georgian or Armenian citizens residing in Georgia or Armenia;
ii.must be PhD. candidates or have a PhD.;
iii.must have human sciences or social sciences as their field of specialisation;
iv.must demonstrate their ability to succeed in their chosen course of study;
v.must have good English language, German language and/or French language skills;
Priority is given to candidates who manage to establish contact with Swiss scholars before coming to Switzerland. Priority is also given to the younger generation of scholars (under 40), especially PhD. candidates.
3.2 Selection
The decisions on the selection of candidates are made jointly by the following people:
-the ASCN programme director
-the ASCN programme coordinator
-the ASCN local coordination units
3.3 Deliverables
The grant recipient is to submit a 1 to 2 page report on his stay in Switzerland within 10 days following the end of his grant.
3.4 Costs covered
The grant covers the following aspects:
-visa costs
-travel costs (lowest-fare economy class flight ticket; train ticket from and to airport)
-accommodation (in case the grantee stays in Fribourg, the accommodation is organised by the ASCN management)
-daily allowances
The ASCN may also cover conference fees (if not paid for by the organizers of the conference) if participation to a conference is foreseen.
During the stay, train tickets to other cities can be covered if the visits are related to the grantee’s ongoing research. A maximum of 3 tickets for a total amount of 100 CHF can be covered.
3.5 Payment
Visa costs are refunded based on receipts.
Flight ticket: the grant recipient pays the ticket himself if he can advance the amount. Should he not be in a position to advance the amount, the ASCN programme will organise the flight or transfer the amount provided a copy of the invoice is sent.
Transport in Switzerland: the costs of transfer from any Swiss airport to the city of Fribourg or another city where the grant recipient is staying are paid by the ASCN programme. Return ticket to the airport is also covered. Only 2nd class tickets are refunded. If the grant period is not commenced or is prematurely ended before the approved duration has expired, funds that have already been transferred must be repaid in full, or, as agreed upon, based on a proportionate rate. The grant recipient is personally responsible for his/her own health and accident insurance during this research trip. Should the grant be subject to taxation in the recipient’s country of origin, the scholar is personally responsible for ensuring payment.
Daily allowances are paid either in cash in Fribourg by the ASCN Programme Management or via a bank transfer onto the grant recipient’s bank account before his/her arrival. The decision on the procedure is made by the ASCN management.
Swiss law applies for this grants programme. Fribourg (Switzerland) is the exclusive jurisdiction in connection with this programme.