Applications are now open for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-2028. Each year, the Swiss Confederation awards these scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries.

Recipients are selected by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS, also called ESKAS). This program is mainly intended for talented early career researchers who have already completed their Master’s degree. For 2027-2028, it is open to applicants from 183 countries.

Applications opened: 20 August 2026
Deadline: Varies by country of origin. You must check your country list on sbfi.admin.ch. Most deadlines are between September and November 2026. Latest deadline is 30 November 2026 at 11:59 PM Swiss time. For Nigeria it is 27 November 2026, Ghana 27 November, Kenya and South Africa 30 November, Pakistan 31 October 2026.
Scholarship Start: 1 September 2027
Results Announced: By end of May 2027

Types of Scholarships Available:

1. Research Fellowship: These scholarships are available to postgraduate researchers in any discipline wishing to pursue research at any Swiss cantonal university, university of applied sciences, either of Switzerland’s two federal institutes of technology (ETH Zurich or EPFL) or at one of the four research institutes within the ETH Domain (PSI, WSL, Empa, Eawag). Prerequisite is that your application must be backed by an academic supervisor in Switzerland who is willing to direct and guide your proposed research. Open to PhD students from 183 countries. Required is a Master’s degree and a supervisor letter. Duration is 12 months.
2. PhD Scholarship: Same host institutions as Research. Open to PhD students from 183 countries. Required is a Master’s degree and supervisor letter. Duration is 36 months (3 years).
3. Art Scholarship: Art scholarships are open to students wishing to pursue an initial Master’s degree in an artistic field in Switzerland. This scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only. Open to Art students from 26 countries. Required is a Bachelor’s degree and admission or proof of application to a Swiss art school. Duration is 21 months.

Scholarship Amount and Benefits:

Research fellowships, PhD scholarships and Art scholarships: CHF 2,450 per month to cover basic living expenses of one person. Please note this scholarship is not a salary. No funding is provided for fieldwork and participation in conferences.

Additional benefits include: Health insurance – FCS covers the premium for compulsory health insurance for scholarship holders from non-EU/EFTA countries. Scholars from EU/EFTA must cover these costs themselves. One-time grant of CHF 600 for rental deposit. Half-Fare Travelcard for public transport in Switzerland. Excursions and activities organized by the coordinating body for federal scholarship holders. Return flight allowance for scholarship holders from non-EU/EFTA countries – amount determined by country of origin, usable up to two months after expiry of scholarship exclusively for returning to country of origin.

Costs to be paid by scholarship holders: The Federal Excellence Scholarship does not cover tuition or semester fees. In some cases, universities, universities of applied sciences or federal institutes of technology require scholarship holders to pay semester fees of approx. CHF 600 to CHF 2,000 per semester or reduced tuition fees. In some cases PhD fees are not waived. Scholars must cover these fees themselves. Costs of participating in international conferences are borne by scholarship holders. PhD holders may request field research for up to six months without additional funding, all costs borne by holder. Travel expenses – scholarship holders from EU/EFTA countries must pay their own travel.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria:

Information on application deadlines and scholarship available by country of origin is published on the official Swiss government website. Applications are submitted to Swiss diplomatic representations through the online system. The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria: Candidate profile, Quality of the research project or artistic work, and Synergies and potential for future research cooperation.

For Research and PhD, you must be born after 31 December 1991 (under 35 years), must have completed your Master’s before 31 July 2027, and must have a supervisor in Switzerland. You can apply for this scholarship maximum three times for the same type.

How to Apply:

Applications are submitted only online at the ESKAS portal. Do not send applications by email or paper. Visit the official at-a-glance page: sbfi.admin.ch – then select your country of origin to see deadline, documents, and application portal. Prepare research proposal, CV, recommendation letters, and supervisor letter before the portal opens.

need resources to help you prepare for this scholarship? Explore our resources guides below.

Documents You Should Always Have Ready for Scholarships, Jobs, Grants and Fellowships

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