Types of PhD candidates
PhD candidates with employee status
PhD applicants who are employed by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) or the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) are referred to as PhD candidates with employee status. For information regarding employment terms and conditions, professional development opportunities, practical issues, human resources, and contact details, you can access the UNIGE intranet.
Employee pursuing a doctorate
If you are working at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) or the University Hospital Geneva (HUG) in a role other than that of a PhD candidate and have made arrangements to pursue a doctorate while employed, you are considered an employee pursuing a doctorate. In such cases, it is important to have discussions and come to agreements with your manager regarding the allocation of your working hours for doctoral research. This will ensure clarity and enable proper planning for balancing your job responsibilities and doctoral studies.
PhD candidates with payed position at external organization or entity
Externally funded PhD candidates have the opportunity to dedicate some of their employer's time (which could be a government, company, or research institute) to work on their doctoral research. In many cases, they are granted a partial exemption from their regular work duties to allow for focused research. While their salaries are paid by their employers, these candidates conduct their doctoral research under the supervision of a designated supervisor from the University of Geneva (UNIGE). They are fully enrolled at University of Geneva as doctoral students.
PhD applicant with a scholarship
Prospective PhD applicants who are interested in pursuing a PhD with the support of a scholarship, but without formal employment, are encouraged to reach out to the PhD coordination office, specifically Dr. Nathalie Bot () and Dr. Fleur Hierink (). In many cases, external scholarship providers require official confirmation of acceptance into a PhD program before approving a scholarship application.