Childcare

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

• All meetings organized by the Center were 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) were accommodated in the individual NCCR groups whenever possible;
• Provided active support in identifying adequate childcare possibilities and assistance in organizing emergency childcare solutions;
• Reserved 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 supported 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 provided information and supported 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

Financial support

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

The NCCR Bio-Inspired Materials also offered financial assistance to participants who had childcare obligations and had to travel for a professional event to advance their academic careers.