Below you will find answers to many questions. Please check this list before contacting
us, you might find the answer here.
- How to register?
- Registration is only possible using the on-line registration form. Registration is conditional until you have paid the invoice (within four weeks of
the reception of the invoice. If you applied for the reduced (student) fee a recommendation letter/copy of an official document stating your student
status is required to make your registration final.
- Who can apply?
- Everyone who is interested; there are no formal conditions (besides motivation).
The Summer School is targeted towards
PhD Students, researchers, teachers etc in the Social Sciences. Note also that many
workshops have some prerequisites. The Summer School workshops are conceived
for those who need to deepen and widen their methodological knowledge and skills
for their research project and (PhD) thesis. The majority of the participants
in the past were PhD students and young researchers (from academia and research
institutions both public and private), but it happens more and more that during
a career the need for further training in methodology arises.
- Can undergraduate students attend?
- Although the courses have been conceived to answer the needs of
postgraduate students, doctoral
students and researchers that need the methods taught in their research projects,
anyone can apply who is motivated to follow the courses.
As an undergraduate student you might however find it difficult to find
a grant to attend a Summer School.
- How do I prepare the Summer School?
- Check the section on prerequisites and readings in the workshop description.
Consider clearly how the skills and knowledge you will acquire fit into your
projects and ideally you should have some data to analyze.
- Problems with the on-line application?
- Technical problems, like our server not working (problems, maintenance periods), disturbances on
the Internet or in your local network, happen. Waiting some time
usually makes the problem go away. If you experience other internet related problems
(web browsing, e-mail) the problem might be local or even specific to your computer.
If nothing helps, drop us a note.
- What happens if I send the form more than once?
- We will only take into account the last form you have sent.
In our experience a number of registrants change their mind
or need to make corrections soon after they registered.
If you wish to make corrections etc weeks later please do not use
on-line registration but send us an e-mail instead.
- When do I receive my confirmation/invoice?
- We send out invoices/confirmations weekly after registration opens, less frequently later
when the number of registrations decreases (every 10-15 days), a bit longer
during the Easter period and during and summer vacations.
If you did not receive your invoice/confirmation two weeks after
registration, something went
wrong (on-line registration problem, e-mail problems [bad e-mail address etc]) and
you should contact us.
- Do I receive a confirmation of payment (receipt)?
- Yes. FORS will send you a confirmation e-mail when payment has arrived.
The application is
conditional until reception of the payment within 5 weeks. If the
payment has not arrived within the five weeks, you will receive a reminder
e-mail. Note that we will
only send a single reminder. If you do not pay within the dealine specified
in the reminder e-mail, your application will be cancelled without further notice.
NSF grants: To reimburse your course fees, you will have to send proof that you have paid
them personally (and not your institution), i.e. send a bank statement showing your payment (DO NOT ask us for
a receipt, as this only shows that the course fees have been paid; the NSF knows that we do not deliver any certificate of
participation if the course fees have not been paid).
- Do I receive information before the Summer School starts?
- Normally, other than the invoice/confirmation, you will not receive any personal
message from us. (Possible exception:
a reminder e-mail, if payment does not reach us
within the five week period after reception of the invoice.)
All information regarding the Summer School can be found on this website
- To whom do I need to send a recommendation letter for the reduced fee?
- Ask your supervisor to send a recommendation letter either by postal mail to FORS
or e-mail to the Summer School director. This is not the same, as the recommendation letter you might
need to apply for a grant (you can however send us the same letter).
- Does the Summer School offer any grants or subsidies?
- No, the Summer School is financed exclusively by participant's fee and
has no resources of its own. Swiss PhD students may ask for
a grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation [Details here]; foreign
students should seek financial support in their country or at their home institution [More Information].
- What do I have to do to get a Swiss National Science Foundation grant?
- See Financial Support from the SNSF
- I have been placed on the waiting list. What does this mean?
-
When a workshop you have selected is full, you will be placed on a waiting list,
i.e. you cannot attend that workshop, unless a place becomes free for that workshop.
You will not receive a confirmation/invoice or any message from us, until a place becomes free.
When a place becomes free, we will send you an e-mail message informing you
(we will also send an invoice/confirmation). When you receive
the e-mail message, please reply as soon as possible, if you are still interested or
if you have made other plans. This is especially important
when a place becomes free, just a few weeks before the Summer School starts and
you are not able to accept our offer, to give us the opportunity to inform the next registrant on the waiting list.
-
I have been placed on the waiting list for one workshop, but have been accepted for another.
- You will then receive an invoice/confirmation only for the workshop you have been accepted for.
You have to pay within
five weeks (or less when you register close to the Summer School) to make the registration final.
You cannot wait to find out whether a place becomes available for the other workshop.
- I have been placed on the waiting list.
What are my chances to attend the workshop?
-
Places become available when another participant cancels his or her
registration or if a registrant does not confirm his or her application
by paying the course fees within five weeks of the reception of the invoice
(shorter delays for last minute registrations).
Our experience shows that your chance of being accepted when
placed on the waiting list is decreasing over time as the Summer School approaches.
Places become free:
- During the first period
(the first six to twelve weeks after registration opens, i.e. February to April/May,
later for less popular workshops) up to 25% of the registrants cancel or are
removed, for one of the following reasons:
- Registrants are unable to get a grant; SNSF grants are limited in number and are usually
quickly exhausted (towards the end of March/early April).
- A number of participants cancel for personal reasons (changing plans).
- Not paying the fee in time despite a reminder e-mail. There are up to 10% of registrants
(especially from outside Europe) who apply, but we never hear from them again, except
sometimes an e-mail requesting financial aid, we cannot offer.
If you register early and are placed on a waiting list, chances are quite good for you to attend,
unless your are counting on a grant from the Swiss SNSF.
If you are still on the waiting list after late April/early May, chances
to attend are decreasing.
- As the Summer School approaches, cancellations are usually linked to much
rarer, unforeseen events (personal life). (A late cancellation implies
that the workshop fees are not reimbursed, fully or partially).
[See Cancellation rules]
- Can I earn ECTS credits from the Summer School?
-
Currently the Summer School is not able to grant credits. In the past however several students used the
Summer School credits at their home institution, i.e. the home institution agreed to recognize the attendance
of one or two workshop.
If you consider using the Summer School workshops to obtain
credits (ECTS), you will have to investigate at your home
institution to find out whether they recognize the Summer School,
how many credits can be earned for a workshop/course with roughly
35 hours of teaching, no graded work and no exams.
(We only deliver a Certificate of Participation, i.e. we certify your
presence).
Make sure to investigate this matter before registering, if this
is important to you.