Childcare

The NCCR Bio-Inspired Materials supports (male and female) researchers with young children in pursuing their research and academic career. The measures include:

• All meetings organized by the Center are scheduled during regular working hours to accommodate the participation of researchers with children and families;
• Flexible working policies (e.g., job-sharing model, part-time or flexible working hours) are accommodated in the individual NCCR groups whenever possible;
• Provide active support in identifying adequate childcare possibilities and assistance in organizing emergency childcare solutions;
• Reserve two 100% Daycare slots at the University of Fribourg for the NCCR researchers, plus three additional 100% slots for researchers of the UniFr's SciMed Faculty 
• The SNSF Flexibility Grant supports PhD students and postdocs with children at a critical career stage. The grant allows researchers to reduce their worktime percentage and, for postdocs, hire a support person for the same period;
• Actively provide information and support applications for other funding sources supporting gender equality and family-work balance.

Useful information

Further information on schools and crèches is available on the Universities partners' websites:

• University of Fribourg
• EPFL
• ETHZ

If you require further information or assistance concerning childcare, or need help organizing emergency childcare in Fribourg, please contact Myriam Marano.

Financial support

For further information on funding programs for women and parents offered by the NCCR, go to the funding programs section.

The NCCR Bio-Inspired Materials offers financial assistance to participants who have childcare obligations and would like to travel for a professional event to advance their academic careers. For information on eligibility and application, click here.