WISER FAQs

WISER is open to students who identify as women. Women remain underrepresented in many science and engineering fields, particularly in research careers. WISER aims to encourage more women to explore these paths by providing hands-on research experience, access to role models, and a supportive environment that fosters confidence and visibility, helping them develop the skills and experience needed to pursue future academic and professional careers in STEM.

WISER is not intended to exclude, but to create targeted support where it is most needed. Gender-specific initiatives such as WISER are widely used in STEM education to promote equal opportunities by addressing persistent disparities in representation and career progression.

WISER is currently designed as a targeted initiative. Its structure responds to specific objectives related to representation in STEM research. A different program open to 2nd and 3rd year regular EPFL students and also offering a research internship is the Summer in the Lab (SIL) program.

Both WISER and SIL provide a paid summer research internship. However, WISER offers additional elements specifically designed to support women who are exploring research careers.

No, this program is only open to students in their 2nd or 3rd year of a Bachelor’s degree.

Unfortunately, 1st-year Bachelor’s students are not eligible. This program is reserved for students in their 2nd or 3rd year of a Bachelor’s degree.

No, the WISER program is only open to regular EPFL students.

Yes, EPFL regular students that are in exchange may apply for the program, provided they are back in Lausanne at the agreed start date of the internship during the summer.

No minimum grade is required to apply for WISER. Whilst academic excellence remains the main selection criterion, motivation and an interest in research and innovation will also be taken into account.

Yes, applications can be submitted in either French or English. However, it is recommended to submit your documents in English if the head of the selected laboratory is not French-speaking.

The internship must last exactly eight weeks. Interns may agree with their host laboratory to extend the duration beyond this period; however, the WISER scholarship remains fixed. Exceptions for shorter internships may be considered depending on the requirements of the hosting laboratory.

The start and end dates of the internship are flexible, provided they fall between June and September. These dates should be agreed upon with the host laboratory according to its availability.

Interns are entitled to four days of leave during the two-month internship period. These days must be scheduled in agreement with the host laboratory.

No, the internship is extracurricular. It does not award academic credits and it cannot be validated as part of the mandatory internship requirements of an EPFL Bachelor’s degree.

Yes, these components are mandatory parts of the WISER program. Participants are required to take part in the mentoring scheme and attend the workshops in person. Failure to do so will result in the non-award of the official WISER certificate of completion.

All interns are expected to attend the Research Symposium, where they will present their work. If attendance is not possible for legitimate reasons (e.g., commencing an exchange year abroad), participants will be required to submit a three-minute video presentation or a poster presenting their summer research project.