📌 Program Type: Fully Funded International Scholarship
📅 Application Period: 2026–2027 Academic Year (deadline varies by country)
📍 Location: Switzerland
👥 Organiser: Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS/ESKAS)
🎯 Target Group: Early career researchers (Master’s, PhD, Postdoc) + international artists

✨ About the Scholarship

Each year, the Swiss Confederation awards Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 countries 🌍.

This highly competitive program offers fully funded opportunities for:

  • 🎓 Research scholarships (all fields)
  • 🎓 PhD scholarships (all fields)
  • 🎓 Postdoctoral scholarships (all fields)
  • 🎨 Arts scholarships (Master’s level in music, design, fine arts)

Grant holders live in Switzerland full-time, gaining access to top universities, ETH Zurich, EPFL, and research institutes renowned worldwide.

💰 Scholarship Benefits

  • Research / PhD / Arts: 1,920 CHF per month 💶
  • Postdoctoral: 3,500 CHF per month 💶
  • Tuition fee waivers (depending on institution) 🎓
  • Health insurance (for non-EU/EFTA grantees) 🏥
  • Flight allowance (depending on home country) ✈️
  • Housing allowance upon arrival 🏡
  • Public transport & cultural activities 🎭

👤 Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Hold a Master’s degree or PhD (depending on category)
  • Be under the age of 35 for PhD / under 40 for Postdoc at application deadline
  • Secure an academic supervisor in Switzerland willing to support their project
  • Have strong academic/research/artistic achievements
  • Demonstrate potential for future international cooperation

For Arts scholarships: Applicants must hold at least a Bachelor’s degree and apply for a Master’s in arts/music at a Swiss institution.

📥 Selection Process

Applications are evaluated by the FCS according to:

  1. Candidate profile 👩‍🎓
  2. Quality of the research/artistic project 📑
  3. Potential for future cooperation 🔗

Decisions are announced by May 2026.

📌 Application Info