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🇨🇭 Switzerland · Funding programme

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

The Swiss Confederation funds early-career researchers from about 180 countries to do doctoral or postdoctoral research at a Swiss university or federal institute of technology. Applications go through the Swiss embassy in your country, and each country sets its own deadline.

Funding
Full Scholarship
Status
Due ≈ in 36 days
Typical deadline
Set by the Swiss embassy in your country — call opens Aug 20, most close Sep–DecNext: ≈ Oct 31, 2026 · varies by course or country
Study levels
PhD
Fields
Any discipline may apply
Who pays
An external award — you win the scholarship and take it to a university that admits you.
Official page on sbfi.admin.ch Last verified Sep 24, 2026. Cycles shift each year — confirm dates on the official page.

What the funding covers

  • A monthly stipend of CHF 2,450 for research scholarships.
  • Tuition fees, health insurance and a housing allowance, as set out in the call.
  • Research scholarships last up to 12 months for a research stay, or up to three years for a PhD in Switzerland.

Who can apply

  • A completed master's degree (or equivalent) and early-career researcher status.
  • A maximum age of 35, as set in the call.
  • Citizenship of one of the roughly 180 eligible countries — check whether your country's call is open for research scholarships.
  • A supervising professor at a Swiss university, ETH Zürich, EPFL or an ETH-domain research centre who confirms they will host you. Taught master's degrees are not funded (art scholarships for master's exist only for selected countries).

How to apply

  1. Contact a potential supervisor in Switzerland with a clear research idea and secure a letter of support.
  2. Download the call and application forms for your country from the Swiss embassy's page or the federal scholarship site.
  3. Submit your application to the Swiss representation in your country. The 2027–28 call opened on 20 August 2026; country deadlines usually fall between September and December.
  4. Shortlisted candidates may be interviewed; the Federal Commission for Scholarships announces decisions by the end of May.

Before you apply: things to know

  • Your deadline is set by the Swiss embassy in your country, not a single global date — check it the day the call opens.
  • The research proposal and the host's support letter decide most applications. Start the supervisor conversation months ahead.
  • The scholarship is for research; it will not fund a taught master's programme.

A working timeline

Counting back from the next typical deadline (≈ Oct 31, 2026). Steps marked NOW are already due if you start today.

Aug 8, 2026 · NOWResearch the route in depth — confirm eligibility, costs and every required document
Aug 22, 2026 · NOWAsk your referees (for a PhD, email potential supervisors with a short, specific pitch)
Sep 5, 2026 · NOWWrite the first full draft of your motivation letter or statement of purpose
Sep 19, 2026 · NOWOrder transcripts and certified translations · book any language test
Oct 3, 2026Second draft — get feedback from someone who reads critically
Oct 17, 2026Finalise every document and complete the online form
Oct 24, 2026Submit — never on the last day
Oct 31, 2026Typical deadline

Related routes

ETH Zürich — Excellence Scholarship
🇨🇭 Switzerland · Master's · Full Scholarship, Merit
Due in 66 daysDetails →
DAAD Scholarships (nationwide)
🇩🇪 Germany · Master's · PhD · Full Scholarship
Due ≈ in 6 daysDetails →
Ghent University — Doctoral Scholarships (Global South)
🇧🇪 Belgium · PhD · Full Scholarship
Closed · next ≈ Feb 17, 2027Details →
Norwegian PhD Fellowships (salaried)
🇳🇴 Norway · PhD · Full Scholarship
Rolling · open year-roundDetails →

Sources

Page reviewed Sep 24, 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will check it against the official source.