Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship 2027-28

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are awarded by the Swiss Confederation through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS). They provide outstanding postgraduate researchers and artists from around 180 countries the opportunity to pursue research or further studies at one of Switzerland’s public universities or recognized institutions. Switzerland is home to ETH Zurich and EPFL, both consistently ranked in the global top 20.

Open to citizens of approximately 180 countries. For Research/PhD scholarships: must hold a Master's degree, be under 35 years of age, and have a confirmed research supervisor at a Swiss institution. For Postdoctoral scholarships: must hold a PhD awarded within 5 years. Must not hold Swiss citizenship. Must have strong academic record. Must have a clearly defined research project relevant to Swiss university strengths.

Monthly stipend of CHF 1,920 (approximately $2,100), tuition fee waiver at Swiss public universities, health insurance premium, housing allowance in some cantons, return airfare (economy class), one-time settling-in allowance, access to Swiss academic networks and research infrastructure

Swiss Government scholarship application form (from Embassy), Detailed research plan, Letter of acceptance from a Swiss university professor, Academic transcripts and degree certificates, CV/Resume, Two recommendation letters from academic supervisors, List of publications (if applicable), Language proficiency certificate (English, German, French, or Italian depending on the institution), Passport copy, Passport-sized photograph

• Be a young researcher from an eligible country (the programme covers 180+ countries, with country-specific deadlines) holding at least a master's (for research fellowships/PhD) or a PhD (for postdoctoral), or a bachelor's for the arts master's track; priority goes to those who have not previously studied/researched in Switzerland
• You must secure a letter of support from an academic host supervisor at a Swiss university, federal institute of technology (ETH Zurich/EPFL), university of applied sciences, or ETH-domain research institute, and prepare a detailed research proposal with a timeline
• Submit the application (via the SERI online portal or your Swiss embassy, per your country's process) by your country's deadline with the research plan, supervisor letter, CV, degree certificates, and references. Provides a monthly stipend and Swiss health insurance; tuition/fees are generally not covered