The doctoral program calls for proposals for one-year initial scholarships of CHF 30,000 twice a year.
The application periods for the scholarship starting on April 1, 2025 runs until December 31, 2024.

The initial scholarship allows early career researchers to prepare funding proposals during the initial phase of their doctorate, with which they can apply to the Swiss National Science Foundation or another institution for further funding for their research project.

Beneficiaries may have a part-time job of no more than 25%.

The following points form the application profile:

• Master's or licentiate degree from a law faculty in Switzerland or an equivalent degree from a recognized higher education institution abroad. Average grade of at least 5.0 according to the Swiss grading system or an equivalent foreign degree. In the case of candidates who are about to complete their studies or who come from other disciplines, the doctoral boards will decide on admission and the additional requirements associated with it after consultation with the prospective first supervisor.
• Existence of supervision acceptance.
• As a rule, the period between the university degree or state examination and the application should not exceed two years (subject to justified exceptions [e.g. bar examination]).
• Above-average motivation to engage academically with the research question and a willingness to work on an interdisciplinary basis are expected.