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For Foreign Scholars and Artists for the 2024-2025 Academic Year
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
- Art scholarships
- Application procedure
- How to apply
- Selection
- Awards
- Outlook
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 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.
Research fellowship
Abbreviated summary. For full details, please refer to the Guidelines for Scholarship Applicants (PDF, 753 kB, 19.07.2023).
Objectives
- To enable selected applicants to undertake research in the realm of their PhD at one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities, the two Swiss federal institutes of technology, the public teaching and research institutes or the universities of applied sciences.
- Valid for full-time research in Switzerland only.
Target Group
- Highly qualified postgraduate researchers from all academic fields as well as young medical doctors.
- Primarily for scholars who have not already been to Switzerland.
Eligibility Criteria
- 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 2024-25: 1 September 2024.
- 12 months maximum (starting in September).
- No prolongation possible.
Amount
- 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.
Selection Criteria
- The candidate: academic profile, research capacity and motivation.
- The research project: originality and methodological soundness.
- The academic context: quality and context of supervision and potential for future academic cooperation.
Contact for further questions
- See the contact address for your country of origin (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)- this is the country according your passport.
- Check the available scholarship types for your country of origin.
- Check the opening of the call and the submission deadline. Applications submitted too late will not be considered.
To Apply
- Download the application package (ZIP, 3 MB, 18.07.2023) (application forms and templates).
- Fill out and print.
To Submit
- Note: Two paper copies of your application must be submitted.
- Click here (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)for the e-mail contact that will give you the postal address of your country of origin.
PhD scholarship
Abbreviated summary. For full details, please refer to the Guidelines for Scholarship Applicants (PDF, 753 kB, 19.07.2023).
Objectives
- To enable selected applicants to undertake a PhD at one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities, the two Swiss federal institutes of technology or the Graduate Institute.Valid for full-time research in Switzerland only.
- Valid for full-time research in Switzerland only.
Target Group
- Highly qualified postgraduate students (possessing the required degrees to start a PhD).
- Primarily for scholars who have not already been to Switzerland.
Eligibility Criteria
- Master’s degree or equivalent university degree 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 2024-25: 1 September 2024.
- 12 months (starting in September).
- Prolongable up to 36 months. The scholarship is awarded in three steps of 12 months each based on the achieved academic results.
Amount
- 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.
Selection Criteria
- The candidate: academic profile, research capacity and motivation.
- The research project: originality and methodological soundness.
- The academic context: quality and context of supervision and potential for future academic cooperation.
Contact for further questions
- See the contact address for your country of origin (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)- this is the country according your passport.
- Check the available scholarship types for your country of origin.
- Check the opening of the call and the submission deadline. Applications submitted too late will not be considered.
To Apply
- Download the application package (ZIP, 3 MB, 18.07.2023) (application forms and templates).
- Fill out and print.
To Submit
- Note: Two paper copies of your application must be submitted.
- Click here (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)for the e-mail contact that will give you the postal address of your country of origin.
Postdoctoral scholarship
Abbreviated summary. For full details, please refer to the Guidelines for Scholarship Applicants (PDF, 753 kB, 19.07.2023).
Objectives
- To enable selected applicants to undertake a PhD at one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities, the two Swiss federal institutes of technology or the Graduate Institute.Valid for full-time research in Switzerland only.
- Valid for full-time research in Switzerland only.
Target Group
- Highly qualified early career scientists on postdoctoral level.
- Primarily for scholars who have not already been to Switzerland.
Eligibility Criteria
- PhD degree achieved after 31 December 2020 and before 31 July 2024 (except: ETH Zurich: 30 June 2024). PhD degree certificate completed.
- A research proposal including a timeframe.
- Mandatory letter from an academic host professor (including their short CV).
Duration
- Scholarship starts for the academic year 2024-25: 1 September 2024.
- 12 months (starting in September).
- No prolongation possible.
Amount
- The scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 3'500.-
- The scholarship amount covers the living costs of one person only.
- This scholarship is not a salary.
Selection Criteria
- The candidate: academic profile, research capacity and motivation.
- The research project: originality and methodological soundness.
- The academic context: quality and context of supervision and potential for future academic cooperation.
Contact for further questions
- See the contact address for your country of origin (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)- this is the country according your passport.
- Check the available scholarship types for your country of origin.
- Check the opening of the call and the submission deadline. Applications submitted too late will not be considered.
To Apply
- Download the application package (ZIP, 3 MB, 18.07.2023) (application forms and templates).
- Fill out and print.
To Submit
- Note: Two paper copies of your application must be submitted.
- Click here (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023) for the e-mail contact that will give you the postal address of your country of origin.
Art scholarships
Art scholarships are open to art students wishing to pursue an initial arts master’s degree in Switzerland.
Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts. This scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only.
Art scholarship
Abbreviated summary. For full details, please refer to the Guidelines for Scholarship Applicants (PDF, 753 kB, 19.07.2023).
Objectives
- To enable selected applicants to undertake initial Master’s studies in Switzerland at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts.
- Valid for full-time research in Switzerland only.
Target Group
- Highly qualified young artists without Master degree.
- Art scholarships only available to citizens of countries with which Switzerland has a reciprocity agreement for art scholarships.
Eligibility Criteria
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent achieved before 31 July 2024. Degree certificate completed.
- Applicants must be born after 31 December 1988.
- Invalid: All applications for a second master’s degree.
Duration
- Scholarship starts for the academic year 2024-25: 1 September 2024.
- 12 months (starting in September).
- Prolongable up to 21 months at most depending on the Master programme chosen and the necessary ECTS credits.
Amount
- The scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 1'920.-
- The scholarship amount covers the living costs of one person only.
Selection Criteria
- The candidate: artistic profile, qualification and motivation.
- The submitted portfolio: artistic maturity and potential.
- The host institute: available study places.
Contact for further questions
- See the contact address for your country of origin (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)- this is the country according your passport.
- Check the available scholarship types for your country of origin.
- Check the opening of the call and the submission deadline. Applications submitted too late will not be considered.
To Apply
- Download the application package (ZIP, 3 MB, 18.07.2023) (application forms and templates).
- Fill out and print.
To Submit
- Note: Two paper copies of your application must be submitted.
- Click here (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023) for the e-mail contact that will give you the postal address of your country of origin.
Application procedure
| Release of programme for 180+ Countries | |
| Go to: www.sbfi.admin.ch/scholarships_eng | early August |
| ▼ | |
| Call for Applications | |
| Download application documents, questions? see list of contacts | this September |
| ▼ | |
| Prepare application | |
| Forms, research proposal, support letters, references | before the submission deadline |
| ▼ | |
| Submission deadline at Swiss representation | |
| This date and the postal address varies from country to country | September - December |
| ▼ | |
| Selection | |
| By the Federal Commission for Scholarships FCS | by the end of May |
| ▼ | |
| Start of scholarships | |
| At the Swiss academic host institution | next September |
How to apply
Select your country of origin according to your passport. Find out about the types of scholarships available, eligibility criteria and application deadlines for your country. For more information and questions, please contact the address provided in the list of contacts (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023).
Select your country of origin according to your passport (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023)
North America (PDF, 104 kB, 22.09.2023)
South America (PDF, 74 kB, 05.10.2023)
Europe (PDF, 239 kB, 30.11.2023)
Africa (PDF, 90 kB, 24.08.2023)
Asia (PDF, 232 kB, 17.11.2023)
Australia and Ozeania (PDF, 63 kB, 19.07.2023)
Download the Application Package (ZIP, 3 MB, 18.07.2023)
Read the Application Guidelines (PDF, 753 kB, 19.07.2023) and follow the instructions. Prepare your application and submit two complete copies to the relevant office in your country of origin according to the list of contacts (PDF, 663 kB, 30.11.2023) by the deadline.
Selection
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.
Awards
The FCS will announce its decisions regarding the new scholarship awards by the end of May at the latest.
Outlook
The FCS will select scholarship holders for the 2024-25 academic year by the end of May 2024. Scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year will be advertised online from August 2024.
- Documentation
Documentation
Survey among former scholarship holders
«Career-boosting scholarships». Online survey of ESKAS alumni from the 2016-2021 cohort and follow-up survey of the 1996-2015 cohort (PDF, 10 MB, 23.02.2024)in German, summary in French and English
«Stipendien, die das Leben verändern» (PDF, 1 MB, 03.04.2019)Online Befragung von ESKAS Bundesstipendiat/innen der Jahrgänge 1996-2015 (German, summary in English)
E-Mail for queries
The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation issues this warning regarding false advertisem*nts for Swiss government scholarships sent by email or on social media. Fraudsters are offering fake scholarships in an attempt to get their victims to transfer money (e.g. by claiming that this money is required for visa or social insurance costs).
The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students FCS recommends that members of the public ignore these fraudulent offers and above all do not transfer any money. The application process for a Swiss government scholarship is free of charge.
Swiss government scholarships are offered by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students exclusively via Switzerland’s official diplomatic representations in the applicants’ countries of origin.
Please pass on this information.
