Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (SGES / ESKAS)
Supports international postgraduate researchers through Swiss federal scholarships at leading Swiss and ETH institutions.
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (SGES/ESKAS) are awarded annually by the Swiss Confederation to early-career researchers from 183 countries for postgraduate research stays (PhD or postdoc level) at Swiss cantonal universities, ETH Zurich, EPFL, or other ETH Domain institutions. The programme is administered directly by SERI through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS/ESKAS). Applications open 20 August 2026 for the 2027-28 cohort, with awards announced by end of May. The scholarship covers stipend, tuition fees, and health insurance. There is no per-grantee monetary amount publicly disclosed by SERI. Eligible applicants must hold citizenship from one of the 183 partner countries and have a Swiss academic supervisor. This is an individual scholarship programme — companies, institutions, and universities cannot apply as entities.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.