StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
Each year the Swiss Confederation funds postgraduate researchers from more than 180 countries through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS). The scholarships cover research fellowships, doctoral scholarships and (where still available) postdoctoral grants — they are for postgraduate research only, not for undergraduate study or a first Master’s degree.
The 2027-28 call is open now, with country-specific deadlines running from August through November 2026. This article covers the 2027-28 intake — the 2026 cycle is closed. A separate art-track scheme exists but is not covered here.
Eligibility
- Citizens of one of the 180+ eligible countries — check the country-specific page, because offer types vary.
- Master’s degree completed (research fellowship or doctoral scholarship) or PhD completed (postdoctoral route — note ETH’s page says new postdoc applications are no longer possible).
- A confirmed Swiss academic supervisor with an invitation letter — the research track is not open without one.
- Must not have lived in Switzerland for more than one year before the scholarship start.
- Age and degree-date limits vary by country (e.g. India: born after 31 December 1991, Master’s by 31 July 2027).
Benefits
- Monthly stipend covering basic living costs (reported around CHF 2,450 for 2027-28 research fellowships — confirm on the official page for your country).
- Mandatory Swiss health insurance covered by the FCS (non-EU/EFTA grantees).
- One-time housing allowance plus a public-transport card.
- Lump-sum flight allowance home at the end of the programme for grantees from outside continental Europe.
Documents required
- Online application in the GO-ESKAS portal — email or paper submissions are not accepted.
- Detailed research proposal.
- CV and academic transcripts.
- Invitation letter from a Swiss academic supervisor.
- Recommendation letters and proof of meeting your country’s deadlines.
How to apply
- Find a supervisorIdentify a Swiss professor willing to supervise your research and obtain an invitation letter — this comes first.
- Check your country pageOpen your country-of-origin page to confirm the exact deadline and the scholarship types you may apply for.
- Register on GO-ESKASPrepare and submit the full application in the GO-ESKAS portal before your country’s deadline.
- Preliminary selectionNational authorities and the Swiss diplomatic representation shortlist candidates.
- FCS assessmentThe Commission assesses candidate profile, project quality and research-cooperation potential; the final decision arrives by the end of May.
FAQs
Yes for the research tracks — ETH’s page states you can only submit once a professor has agreed to supervise you and issued an invitation letter.
No. Tuition and semester fees (CHF 600–2,000 per semester depending on the university) must be paid separately from the stipend.
No. Deadlines differ by country and all fall in autumn 2026 for the 2027-28 intake; check the page for your passport country.
Only if you have resided there for no more than one year during the application process.
The research fellowships are awarded for the 2027-28 academic year, extendable under the programme rules — check the country page for exact durations.
Verified 22 Oct 2026 via ETH Zurich’s official Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships page (20 Aug – 30 Nov 2026 window, supervisor-invitation requirement) + the Swiss Embassy (Pakistan) announcement and LeapScholar confirming the 2027-28 intake and country deadlines (India 10 Nov 2026, Pakistan 31 Oct 2026). The article is framed for the 2027-28 intake — the ‘2026’ cycle is closed — and the deadline is presented as country-dependent, not a single date. The CHF 2,450 stipend figure is tracker-reported; confirm on the official country page.
