The postdoctoral stage is a key moment in the career of women researchers, after which many of them leave academia or encounter difficulties finding positions outside the university that match their high qualification.
Supporting women’s careers and developing policies in favour of young researchers are major objectives in the Action plan for equality, diversity and inclusion 2022-2026 and the Statement of Intent 2021-2026 of the University of Lausanne.
The PROWD programme responds to these objectives by providing female PhD holders at UNIL a career support offer that complements both other existing UNIL-specific career support programmes for young researchers of both sexes (Graduate Campus) and women’s careers support programmes conducted in cooperation with the other universities of western Switzerland (Réseau Romand de Mentoring, REGARD workshops). PROWD addresses female postdocs’ diverse needs and professional prospects through two specific tracks, while offering them opportunities for sharing experiences and concerns at joint events.
You plan to apply for a professorship?
Register for Academic Career
You want to pursue a career outside academia?
Register for Non-academic Career
The call for applications for the PROWD 22-23 programme is now closed.
Practical information
Programme duration and structure
PROWD is a complete programme running over several months. Participants commit to follow the entire programme.The 4th edition has started on 10th October 2022 and will end in May 2023 (closing event).
It consists of events specific to each track (Academic Career and Non-academic Career) as well as common events bringing together all the participants in the programme.
People registered for each track commit to participating in the main events (Programme kick-off event, workshops, mentoring or coaching). Participation in the other, shorter events (lunch-workshops, informal meetings, etc.) is optional.
Programme language
Most workshops and other events will be given in French, others will be given in English. The language for each event is indicated in the description, and generally matches the language of the event’s title. Participants can in any case choose to speak in French or in English during workshops. For some workshops, the language will depend on participants' preferences, which they are asked to indicate in the programme registration form.
Conditions of participation
- Hold a PhD (by the beginning of the programme)
- Have a UNIL affiliation
- hold a non permanent academic position at UNIL (first assistant/junior lecturer, maître-assistante/lecturer, postdoc, SNF senior researcher, scientific collaborator, part time lecturer); people with other kinds of positions may be accepted if they can justify the programme’s relevance to their career development
- or, have obtained their PhD from UNIL up to 3 years ago
- Be available on the dates of the main events and take part in the whole programme (from October 2022 to May 2023)
Selection criteria
- Motivation for the programme
- Motivation for an academic/non-academic career
- Relevance of the programme at this stage in the applicant’s career planning and development
Number of participants
Registration procedure and deadline
The call for applications for the PROWD 22-23 programme is now closed.
Questions and additional information