The Swiss Confederation's flagship award for talented early-career researchers from abroad — 183 countries participate. If you already hold a Master's and have a Swiss academic supervisor willing to back your research plan, the FCS pays you CHF 2,450 a month to do a research fellowship (6–12 months) or a full PhD (up to 3 years) at a Swiss university, ETH Zurich/EPFL or an ETH Domain institute. There is no single deadline: each country has its own date, set by the Swiss diplomatic representation, running from September to 30 November 2026.
Why it is notable: the supervisor-first design — your application is dead without a written commitment from a Swiss academic supervisor, and many applicants learn this after the deadline. Also: postdoctoral scholarships are NOT offered in the 2027/28 cycle (research + PhD + art only), and tuition is not covered.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
CHF 2,450/month for basic living expenses of one person (not a salary):
One-time CHF 600 grant for the rental deposit:
Health insurance premiums covered for non-EU/EFTA holders (EU/EFTA holders pay their own):
Half-Fare Travelcard for public transport:
Return flight allowance for non-EU/EFTA holders (amount by country of origin; usable up to 2 months after the scholarship for the return trip):
Organised excursions and activities for federal scholarship holders:
Note on costs the holder pays: tuition/semester fees (approx. CHF 600–2,000/semester — not waived automatically); conference participation; field research costs; EU/EFTA holders' travel:
This scholarship is offered for Masters, PhD and Postdoc programs.
Who can apply
applicants from 183 countries (official FCS country list). Some countries have no offer for 2027/28 (e.g. Andorra, Canada, France, Greece, Greenland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden per the official country schedule) — check the A–Z country list. Art scholarships: limited countries only. Apply through your country of origin's route — do not apply via another country.
Experience
No experience required (selection: candidate profile, quality of the research project/artistic work, synergies and potential for future research cooperation)
Language Certificate
course/supervisor-dependent — check the host institution's requirements
Other Certificates
Master's degree (by 31 July 2027); detailed research plan; written backing of a Swiss academic supervisor (mandatory for research/PhD tracks); CV
Age Limit
max. age 35 (official: "max. age: 35")
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
183 countries have an offer; the official A–Z list shows per-country scholarship types and deadlines. Countries with no 2027/28 offer are excluded for this…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
Master's degree (generally completed by 31 July 2027) for research/PhD tracks; Bachelor's for the art track.
02
Language
host-institution/supervisor dependent.
03
Documents
GO ESKAS application, research plan, supervisor backing letter, CV, academic records, country-specific documents.
04
Essays/answers
the research plan is the core document — originality, methodological quality and supervision quality are assessed.
05
References
supervisor backing is mandatory (research/PhD); references per country requirements.
06
Fee
no fee; never pay anyone claiming to process the scholarship.
Document checklist
01GO ESKAS online application (complete, before the country deadline)
02Master's degree certificate (or proof of completion by ~31 July 2027)
03Detailed research plan / artistic portfolio (art track)
04Written backing of a Swiss academic supervisor (research/PhD tracks)
05CV and academic records
06Country-specific documents per the official country page
Application fee
No fee — completely free. The Swiss government warns against fraudulent messages requesting money in the scholarship's n
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Switzerland national (type D) student visa for stays over 90 days, applied for at the Swiss embassy/consulate in your country (concise — recheck current requirements on the SEM/embassy site).
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Find your country in the official A–Z country list
check which scholarship types are offered and YOUR country's deadline (applications opened 20 August 2026 for most countries).
→
02
Secure a Swiss academic supervisor willing to
direct your proposed research (mandatory for research/PhD tracks) — start this months before the deadline.
→
03
Check you meet the eligibility requirements (Master's
by ~31 July 2027, max age 35).
↓
06
Applications go to the Swiss diplomatic representation
FCS assesses (candidate profile, project quality, cooperation potential); decisions announced by end of May 2027; scholarships start 1 September 2027.
←
05
Submit ONLY via the GO ESKAS portal
before your country's deadline (11:59 pm Swiss local time). Do NOT send anything by email or paper.
←
04
Register in Grants Online (GO ESKAS) at
go.eskas.ch and prepare the application.
↓
07
GO ESKAS online application (complete
before the country deadline)
→
08
Master's degree certificate (or proof of completion
by ~31 July 2027)
→
09
Detailed research plan / artistic portfolio (art
track)
↓
10
Written backing of a Swiss academic supervisor
(research/PhD tracks)
Application milestones
30 Nov 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Swiss cantonal universities, universities of… platform.
30 Nov 2026 — country-specific, September–30 Nov 2026 (latest). There is NO universal deadline — your deadline is the one…
Who can apply?
applicants from 183 countries (official FCS country list). Some countries have no offer for 2027/28 (e.g. Andorra, Canada, France, Greece, Greenland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden per the official country schedule) — check the A–Z country list. Art scholarships: limited countries only. Apply through your country of origin's route — do not apply via another country.
What does the scholarship cover?
CHF 2,450/month for basic living expenses of one person (not a salary):; One-time CHF 600 grant for the rental deposit:; Health insurance premiums covered for non-EU/EFTA holders (EU/EFTA holders pay their own):; Half-Fare Travelcard for public transport:
Where do I apply?
Through the official application portal linked in the Official links section on this page.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Switzerland · Swiss cantonal universities, universities of…