Swiss Government Excellence – Scholarships Research Fellowship 2021

Application deadline: November 24, 2021

Swiss Government Excellence Research Scholarships for foreign students are offered by The Swiss Government via the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students FCS

Benefits

• The scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 1,920.
• For non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: the FCS pays mandatory Swiss health insurance.
• There are no family allowances.
• Scholarship holders from non-EU and non-EFTA countries receive a flight allowance (lump sum) for a ticket back to their country of origin (provided at the end of the scholarship).
• Special CHF 300 housing allowance (paid once at the beginning of the scholarship).
• One-year half-fare public transportation card.
• Support services and various trips, dinners and sightseeing tours organised for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders.

Where

Universities
University of Basel / University of Bern / University of Fribourg / University of Geneva / University of Lausanne / University of Lucerne / University of Neuchâtel / University of St. Gallen / University of Zurich / Università della Svizzera italiana

Federal institutes of technology
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ)

Teaching and research institutes
Research Institutes of the ETH Domain (PSI; WSL; EMPA; EAWAG), Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID)

Universities of applied sciences
University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland / Bern University of Applied Sciences / University of Applied Sciences Northwest Switzerland / University of applied Sciences Eastern Switzerland / Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts / University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland / The Zürcher Fachhochschule

Universities of teacher education
Universities of teacher education

Validity

• The Scholarship is valid only for full-time research in Switzerland. It is not valid for mixed research (part time in Switzerland and part time in another country). This scholarship is not compatible with field trips outside Switzerland. Therefore no possibility and no funding for fieldwork.
  Furthermore, this scholarship type is not available for scholars holding a PhD degree.
• PhD students with an ongoing or planned doctoral project that is carried out within the framework of a formalised agreement between two universities (“cotutelle de thèse” cooperation between a Swiss and a foreign university) and under the joint direction of two supervisors are eligible for a 12 month research fellowship only.

Highly qualified postgraduate researchers from all academic fields as well as young medical doctors.
Duration: 12 months maximum (starting in September); no prolongation possible. The research fellowship cannot be upgraded into a prolongable PhD scholarship.
Grant applications for stays lasting less than 9 months will not be treated as a priority. Grant applications for stays lasting less than 6 months will be rejected.

Eligibility criteria and conditions

• Master’s degree or equivalent university degree achieved before 31 July 2021 (degree certificate) recognized by the Swiss university. As a proof, the degree has to be submitted to the Federal Commission for Scholarships before the start of the scholarship.
• Applicants must be born after 31 December 1985.
• Applicants who have been in Switzerland since more than one year at the beginning of the scholarship in September are not eligible. Reference document if applicable: residence permit to be added to the application documents.
• Applicants must provide a letter from an academic host professor (including her/his short CV) at the chosen Swiss university confirming why she/he is willing to supervise and support the research. Without such specific support letter, the application will be rejected.
• Applicants must have a research proposal including a timeframe. This is the centre piece of the application. The applicant must devote all required attention to it.
• Applicants must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the research/studies.
• Applicants who have already benefited from a Swiss Government
• Excellence Scholarship are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.
• Scholarship holders are expected to move to Switzerland during their grant period.

Source / More information for application process online: Official Website.