Through the generosity of the Bertarelli Foundation in Switzerland, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) annually selects five students to perform their master's research in Harvard Medical School (HMS) or HMS-affiliated labs over a twelve-month period. The students are funded throughout their stay and bring an additional $10,000 research allowance to the lab. The Bertarelli Fellows master's research program was conceived with neuro-engineering and translational neuroscience in mind (such as neural prosthetics), but can be construed to include broad areas of molecular, cellular, systems and computational neuroscience. The students will be engaged in research for at least 75% of their time while at Harvard Medical School, with the remaining time dedicated to other educational opportunities.
EPFL will arrange an annual call for applications and convene a selection committee to choose five students per year. EPFL students will participate for a minimum of ten up to a maximum of twelve months in the HMS-based research program. EPFL students may be in the fields of Life Sciences & Technology, Bioengineering, Engineering or Basic and Computer Sciences.
In any given year, if fewer than five EPFL students matriculate, HMS will add the relevant number of students in subsequent years. HMS will pay each selected fellow a stipend to support living and travel costs while in the U.S. The stipend of up to $35,000 USD will be pro-rated monthly beginning at the appointment start date through the duration of his or her research appointment.
The Bertarelli Fellows Program does permit flexible dates of departure, namely in fall or spring. Candidates interested in the delayed option must notify the EPFL selection committee at the time of application. EPFL will communicate the names and research interests of selected fellows to the HMS Program administration at least six months prior to the fellows’ participation in the program.
Once fellows are selected, they will be responsible for identifying their HMS or HMS-affiliated PIs and labs (under the guidance of the HMS Education Director), and for securing their own housing while in the United States. Bertarelli Fellows must return to EPFL, their home institution, immediately following their research appointment.