Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027-2028 for Indian Applicants: Research Fellowships and PhD Scholarships in Switzerland (CHF 2,450 per month)

Each year the Swiss Confederation awards Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships to encourage 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, also known as ESKAS). The programme information and the ESKAS contact address are published by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

The scholarships are mainly intended for talented early career researchers from abroad who have already completed their Master's degree. Research scholarships are open to postgraduate researchers in any discipline, so law graduates are eligible.

• Research Fellowship: a one-year research project carried out as part of doctoral studies being pursued in a country other than Switzerland, at a Swiss higher education institution or recognised research institute. Minimum 6 months, maximum 12 months, no extensions. Full-time research in Switzerland only.
• PhD scholarship: to pursue a PhD at a Swiss university or recognised research institute. 12 months, renewable twice for up to 36 months, subject to academic progress. Full-time research in Switzerland only.

Both start on 1 September 2027. Art scholarships are not listed for India.

• Master's degree or equivalent completed by 31 July 2027 (for ETH Zurich: 30 June 2027).
• Date of birth after 31 December 1991.
• A detailed research plan with a timeline specifying key milestones and activities.
• A letter of support from an academic supervisor in Switzerland (including a short CV). Applications without a Swiss academic supervisor are not considered; finding one is the applicant's responsibility.
• Applicants already living in Switzerland: date of entry must not be earlier than 1 August 2026.
• Priority goes to individuals who have not previously studied or conducted research in Switzerland.

• CHF 2,450 per month to cover the basic living expenses of one person. The scholarship is not a salary.
• Compulsory health insurance premiums covered by FCS for scholarship holders from non-EU/EFTA countries.
• One-time grant of CHF 600 for a rental deposit.
• Half-Fare Travelcard for public transport.
• Return flight allowance for scholarship holders from non-EU/EFTA countries (amount determined by country of origin).

Not covered: tuition or semester fees (approx. CHF 600 to CHF 2,000 per semester at some institutions), conference participation, field research and family allowances.

• Complete CV.
• Letter of motivation (max. 2 pages).
• Research proposal on the FCS/ESKAS form (max. 5 pages including a summary for non-specialists), downloadable in the online application.
• Letter of support from the Swiss academic supervisor and the supervisor's short CV (max. 2 pages).
• For research fellowships: short CV of the academic supervisor at the home university.
• For PhD scholarships at graduate schools only: confirmation of admission to the graduate school.
• E-mail addresses of two professors in the relevant field, who will be asked through the system to upload recommendation letters.
• Copies of certificates and transcripts. For India, self-certification is accepted.
• Copy of passport.

• Incomplete applications or applications with formal errors.
• Multiple simultaneous applications for several host universities or scholarship types, or more than one research proposal.
• Living, studying or working in Switzerland since more than 13 months before the start of the scholarship.
• Previous Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders, or a fourth application after three unsuccessful attempts.
• No Swiss academic supervisor indicated, or no letter of support from that supervisor.

Applications are made only online through Grants Online (GO ESKAS): check eligibility, register in GO ESKAS, then sign in and prepare the application. Do not send the application by email or on paper. The application is free of charge.

For India, the call opened on 20 August 2026 and the submission deadline is 10 November 2026, 11:59 pm Swiss local time (4:29 am IST on 11 November 2026). Applications are submitted to Swiss diplomatic representations; the contact SERI lists for India is the Embassy of Switzerland in India, New Delhi.

SERI warns against fake Swiss Government scholarship offers circulated by email or on social media that ask for money: never send money to anyone in connection with this scholarship.

Applications are submitted to Swiss diplomatic representations and assessed by the FCS on the candidate profile, the quality of the research project, and synergies and potential for future research cooperation. The FCS announces its award decisions by the end of May 2027 at the latest.