The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships support international researchers and selected art students who want to study or conduct research in Switzerland. The programme is administered by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS/ESKAS) under Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. Applications for the 2027-28 academic year opened from 20 August 2026. The programme is available to applicants from more than 180 countries, with exact scholarship types and deadlines determined by country of origin.
For the 2027-28 cycle, research fellowships and PhD scholarships provide CHF 2,450 per month for basic living expenses. Research fellowships normally run for 6 to 12 months, while PhD scholarships start with 12 months and can be renewed subject to progress. The standard programme start date is 1 September 2027. Applicants must use the official Swiss country-specific instructions because there is no single universal deadline.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Details
Research scholarships are available across academic disciplines at Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, ETH Zurich, EPFL and recognised research institutes in the ETH Domain. A Swiss academic supervisor must support the proposed research. Applications without an eligible supervisor are not considered.
The 2027-28 programme includes research fellowships, PhD scholarships and art scholarships for eligible countries. Postdoctoral scholarships are no longer awarded from the 2027-28 academic year. Applicants should therefore select the scholarship type shown for their country and academic profile on the official SERI page.
Programme | Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships |
|---|---|
Administrator | Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS/ESKAS) |
Study type | Research fellowships, PhD scholarships and selected art scholarships |
Monthly contribution | CHF 2,450 |
Research fellowship duration | 6 to 12 months |
Programme start | 1 September 2027 |
Deadline | Varies by country of origin |
Important note | Postdoctoral scholarships are not offered from the 2027-28 cycle |
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Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Benefits
The current monthly scholarship contribution is CHF 2,450. The Swiss government states that this amount is intended to cover basic living expenses for one person and is not treated as a salary. Scholarship holders may still have university fees or other costs depending on their institution and programme.
The Federal Council increased the one-off housing allowance to CHF 600 from 2026. It also covers health and accident insurance for eligible non-EU/EFTA scholarship holders. Travel and other expenses vary by nationality and scholarship type, so the country-specific call remains essential.
- CHF 2,450 monthly living contribution
- Research fellowship duration: 6 to 12 months
- PhD scholarship: 12 months initially, renewable subject to progress
- Programme start: 1 September 2027
Also Check: Applicants interested in European funding can also review the EUI Jean Monnet Fellowship 2027.
Related opportunity: Readers comparing this opportunity can also review the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship as a related PhD funding option.
Also explore: Readers comparing this opportunity can also review the Saudi Government Scholarships as a related PhD funding option.
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships Eligibility
For research fellowships and PhD scholarships, applicants generally need a master’s degree or equivalent completed by 31 July 2027; ETH Zurich uses an earlier 30 June 2027 completion point. The current rules require a date of birth after 31 December 1991 for these scholarship types. Applicants who already live in Switzerland must also satisfy the programme’s residence-date conditions.
A detailed research plan and a support letter from an eligible academic supervisor in Switzerland are required. Selection considers the candidate’s academic profile, the originality and methodological quality of the project, the quality of supervision and the potential for future research cooperation. Art scholarships have separate requirements and are available only to applicants from certain countries.
How to Apply
First open the official SERI country list and select your country of origin. Confirm which scholarship types are available, the responsible Swiss diplomatic representation and the exact deadline. Then register in the official Grants Online system and prepare the required application materials.
Research applicants must identify an academic supervisor in Switzerland before submission and obtain the required support letter. Applications are submitted through the official system rather than by ordinary email or paper. Applicants should allow enough time for supervisor contact, document preparation and any country-specific instructions.
Application Deadline
There is no single worldwide application deadline for the 2027-28 Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships. Deadlines and available scholarship types depend on the applicant’s country of origin and are published in the official country-specific documentation.
Because secondary scholarship directories may display generic dates, applicants should not rely on those dates for submission planning. Use the official SERI page and the responsible Swiss representation for your country as the controlling sources. Applications for this cycle became available from 20 August 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants often ask whether the scholarship is fully funded, whether a supervisor is required and whether postdoctoral applicants can still apply. The official 2027-28 information confirms the CHF 2,450 monthly contribution and the supervisor requirement for research applications. It also confirms that postdoctoral scholarships have been discontinued from this cycle.
Another common question concerns duration. Research fellowships are normally 6 to 12 months and cannot be extended, while PhD scholarships begin with 12 months and may be renewed subject to academic progress and the programme’s rules.
How much is the monthly scholarship?
The current scholarship amount is CHF 2,450 per month for the relevant research, PhD and art scholarship categories.
Do all countries have the same deadline?
No. The deadline and available scholarship type depend on the applicant’s country of origin, so the official country-specific call must be checked before applying.
Conclusion
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships provide a structured route for international researchers and eligible art students to study or conduct research in Switzerland. For research applicants, the strongest preparation starts with finding an appropriate Swiss supervisor, developing a clear research plan and checking the exact country-specific call.
For 2027-28, the main monthly contribution is CHF 2,450 and programmes generally begin on 1 September 2027. Since deadlines vary by nationality, applicants should ignore generic secondary-site dates when they conflict with the official Swiss instructions. The official SERI scholarship pages and country documents remain the controlling sources.
