With a view to intensifying interaction and the scientific cooperation between Indian and Swiss scientists and institutions, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) will soon launch the Personnel Exchange Programme (PEP) under the Indo-Swiss Joint Research Programme.

The Indo-Swiss Joint Research Programme will extend support for exchange of visits under this project, with a special emphasis on further academic training and development of young scholars. PEP grants aim at connecting ongoing research projects in the two countries.

The priority research areas of the programme include all science and technology disciplines (no social sciences & humanities).

Major objectives of the programme are to intensify interaction and scientific cooperation between Indian and Swiss scientists/ institutions; to connect existing but separately funded research projects in India and Switzerland; and
to enhance academic training and development of young scholars.

Scientists with an appointment as a faculty member at an eligible Swiss/Indian institution are eligible to apply as Principal Investigator (PI) for the programme. But, the appointment of the PI must last at least until the end of the project. Additionally to the PIs, the PEP project should include at least one PhD student or postdoctoral scientist on each side. The total number of participants on each side should not exceed three.

Universities, Publicly Funded Research Institutes and Labs and educational/ academic Research Institutes are the eligible institutions in India for the programme. Likewise, Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, Cantonal Universities, Federal and Cantonal Research Institutions, Universities of Applied Sciences, other Research Institutions eligible for receiving federal funding are the eligible institutions in Switzerland under this programme.

The DST has invited applications from the eligible scientists for the programme. Joint applications will be evaluated independently in Switzerland and India. In Switzerland, applications will be considered by EPFL and UNIL or by the Swiss Steering Committee on the basis of recommendations made by Advisory Board members and/or a panel of experts proposed by these Advisory Board members. In India, applications will be considered by DST.