Applications are invited for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2025, Switzerland. Apply at the earliest.
About the Swiss Government Excellence
Each year the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or PhD and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.
Research scholarships
The research scholarship (research fellowship, PhD, Postdoc) is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree is the minimum qualification required) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at the doctoral or post-doctoral level.
Research scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences and the two federal institutes of technology, as well as the four research institutes. Only candidates nominated by an academic supervisor at one of these higher education institutions will be considered.
Eligibility
- Master’s degree or equivalent achieved before 31 July 2024 (except ETH Zurich: 30 June 2024). Degree certificate completed.
- Applicants must be born after 31 December 1988.
- A research proposal including a timeframe.
- Mandatory letter from an academic host professor (including their short CV).
Duration
- Scholarship starts for the academic year 2025-26: 11 Nov 2024.
- No prolongation possible.
Award information
- The scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 1’920.-
- The scholarship amount covers the living costs of one person only.
- This scholarship is not a salary.
How to apply?
- Release of programme for 180+ Countries: Visit here: early August
- Prepare application, Forms, research proposal, support letters, and references before the submission deadline
- Submission deadline at Swiss representation. This date and the postal address vary from country to country September – December
- Selection by the Federal Commission for Scholarships FCS by the end of May 2025.
- Start of scholarships at the Swiss academic host institution next September
Selection Procedure
- Applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss diplomatic representation. The short-listed applications are then assessed by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which takes the final decision.
- The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:
- Candidate profile
- Quality of the research project or artistic work
- Synergies and potential for future research cooperation
- The FCS is composed of professors from Swiss public universities. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.
