Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

For Foreign Scholars and Artists for the 2025-2026 Academic Year

Each year the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote 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).

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or PhD and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.

Research scholarships

The research scholarship (research fellowship, PhD, Postdoc) is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree is the minimum qualification required) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at doctoral or post-doctoral level.

Research scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences and the two federal institutes of technology, as well as the four research institutes. Only candidates nominated by an academic supervisor at one of these higher education institutions will be considered.

Art scholarships

Art scholarships are open to art students wishing to pursue an initial arts master’s degree in Switzerland.

Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts. This scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only.

Application procedure

Release of programme for 180+ Countries
Go to: www.sbfi.admin.ch/scholarships_eng early August
Call for Applications
Download application documents, questions? see list of contacts this September
Prepare application
Forms, research proposal,
support letters, references
before the submission deadline
Submission deadline at Swiss representation
This date and the postal address varies from country to country September - December
Selection
By the Federal Commission for Scholarships FCS by the end of May
Start of scholarships
At the Swiss academic host institution next September

How to apply

Select your country of origin according to your passport. Find out about the types of scholarships available, eligibility criteria and application deadlines for your country. For more information and questions, please contact the address provided in the list of contacts (PDF, 298 kB, 10.10.2024)

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Selection

Applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss diplomatic representation. The short-listed applications are then assessed by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which takes the final decision.

The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:

  1. Candidate profile
  2. Quality of the research project or artistic work
  3. Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

The FCS is composed of professors from Swiss public universities. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.

Awards

The FCS will announce its decisions regarding the new scholarship awards by the end of May at the latest.

Outlook

The FCS will select scholarship holders for the 2025-26 academic year by the end of May 2025. Scholarships for the 2025-26 academic year will be advertised online from August 2025.

Documentation

Survey among former scholarship holders

«Stipendien, die das Leben verändern» (PDF, 1 MB, 03.04.2019)Online Befragung von ESKAS Bundesstipendiat/innen der Jahrgänge 1996-2015 (German, summary in English)

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The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation issues this warning regarding false advertisements for Swiss government scholarships sent by email or on social media. Fraudsters are offering fake scholarships in an attempt to get their victims to transfer money (e.g. by claiming that this money is required for visa or social insurance costs).

The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students FCS recommends that members of the public ignore these fraudulent offers and above all do not transfer any money. The application process for a Swiss government scholarship is free of charge.

Swiss government scholarships are offered by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students exclusively via Switzerland’s official diplomatic representations in the applicants’ countries of origin.

Please pass on this information.

https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/content/sbfi/en/home/bildung/stipendien/eskas.html