Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-2028

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are awarded annually by the Swiss Confederation through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) to promote international exchange between Switzerland and over 180 countries. Open to early-career researchers and artists, the scholarships support PhD research, postdoctoral research, and Master’s in selected art programmes at top Swiss universities including ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the 10 cantonal universities.

• Citizen of one of 180+ eligible countries (full list at sbfi.admin.ch)
• Master's degree completed before 31 July 2027 (ETH Zurich: 30 June 2027)
• Born after 31 December 1991 (under 35 at application)
• Primarily for scholars who have not already been to Switzerland
• Mandatory supervisor support letter from Swiss host professor
• For Arts scholarships: eligibility limited to specific countries only

• Monthly stipend: CHF 1,920 (about USD 2,200)
• Full exemption from tuition fees
• Health insurance contribution
• Return economy airfare (lump-sum allowance)
• Housing allowance (one-off)
• Swiss research access at top public universities
• Approved for 12 months initially, renewable up to 36 months for PhD candidates

• 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