We are pleased to announce the SNSF Early-Stage Researcher Support and Award Scheme for EWG-MCDA 102. The scheme is intended to support the participation of early-stage researchers from outside Switzerland and to recognize high-quality oral and poster contributions presented at the meeting.
Eligibility
The scheme is open to early-stage researchers who are based outside Switzerland. For this scheme, early-stage researchers are defined as:
- PhD students; or
- researchers who obtained their PhD on or after 1 January 2020.
Participants based in Switzerland are not eligible for this SNSF support scheme.
How to participate
Eligible participants must submit an abstract for EWG-MCDA 102 and indicate whether they would like to be considered for one of the early-stage researcher award categories:
- Early-Stage Researcher Oral Presentation Award
- Early-Stage Researcher Poster Award
Participants may indicate their preferred presentation format. The final allocation to oral or poster presentation will depend on the scientific program and the available presentation slots.
Awards and reimbursement
At the conference, Early-Stage Researcher Awards will be selected in two categories: oral presentations and posters. Instead of selecting only one winner per category, the organizing committee may grant several awards in each category. The final number of awards will be determined after the conference program and the available SNSF support budget are confirmed.
Each awardee will receive a certificate recognizing the quality of their contribution. Eligible awardees may also receive accommodation reimbursement under the SNSF Early-Stage Researcher Support and Award Scheme.
The reimbursement is limited to a maximum of two overnight stays and CHF 200 per overnight stay. The maximum reimbursement per supported participant is therefore CHF 400.
Reimbursement is not automatic. It is available only to eligible early-stage researchers based outside Switzerland and is subject to:
- acceptance of the submitted abstract;
- in-person attendance at EWG-MCDA 102;
- presentation of the accepted oral or poster contribution;
- available SNSF support budget; and
- submission of valid reimbursement documents.
Presentations and posters will be evaluated by the scientific committee or a designated evaluation panel. Awards and associated reimbursement will be allocated according to the evaluation ranking, eligibility, and available budget. This ensures that the SNSF support is distributed transparently while recognizing strong early-stage contributions to the conference.
Acknowledgement
This scheme is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) through the Scientific Exchanges funding instrument. EWG-MCDA 102 gratefully acknowledges the support of the SNSF for enabling the participation of early-stage researchers from outside Switzerland.