The modern ETH Zurich teaching building — a tightly-gridded glass façade reflecting the alpine daylight.

Switzerland Applications open Closes 15 November 2026

FMI International PhD Program

The Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel is one of Europe's leading basic-research institutes, working in epigenetics, neurobiology and quantitative biology, and affiliated with the Novartis Research Foundation and the University of Basel. Its International PhD Program is worth understanding precisely, because it is not a scholarship in the sense Sri Lankan applicants usually mean: FMI provides financial support to graduate students in accordance with the scale of the Swiss National Science Foundation, which in practice means a salaried doctoral position rather than a fee waiver or a stipend you must supplement. There are no tuition fees to fund and no maintenance grant to chase — you are paid to do research. The programme is explicitly open to applicants from all countries, with no age limit, and there is a parallel MD-PhD Program for medical graduates. For Sri Lankan applicants, two details are unusually favourable. First, no English certificate is required, though English is the working language — that removes the IELTS hurdle that blocks many otherwise strong candidates. Second, entry rests on holding a degree that formally qualifies you for PhD entry in Sri Lanka, meaning an MSc, MPhil or equivalent; a bachelor's alone will not do, so plan the master's step first. Selection is genuinely competitive, with interviews following each round.

The autumn round opened 1 September 2026 and closes 15 November 2026, with interviews in January 2027; the spring round then opens 15 February 2027 and closes 1 May 2027

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel

External Organization-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

payments

Support

Salaried, on the SNSF scale

science

Fields

Epigenetics, neurobiology, quantitative biology

schedule

Rounds

Closes 15 Nov and 1 May

info How this award actually works

warning

This is a separate, highly competitive application

Awards from external organisations like this one run their own selection round against applicants from across the world, and success rates are usually in the low single digits. Lanka Scholar does not administer it and cannot submit it for you. Treat it as a bonus on top of a funded study plan — never as the plan itself.

account_balance

Who awards it

Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.

how_to_reg

How you are considered

Through a separate application round run by the funder, with its own forms, deadlines and shortlisting. You submit it yourself — it is not part of a university admission application.

payments

What it covers

Salaried Doctoral Position Paid on the Swiss National Science Foundation Scale. Read the terms carefully: even fully-funded awards rarely cover every cost, and any shortfall is yours to fund.

handshake

Where we come in

We help you judge whether this award is worth your time, and build a realistic admission plan that works whether or not you win it.

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

public

Open to Applicants From All Countries

The programme takes international applicants from any country, with no nationality restriction and no age limit. Sri Lankan applicants compete on the same footing as everyone else.

school

A Degree That Qualifies You for PhD Entry at Home

You need a university degree that formally qualifies you to enter a PhD programme in your home country — an MSc, MPhil, Diploma or equivalent. A Sri Lankan bachelor's on its own is explicitly insufficient, so complete a master's first.

medical_services

MD-PhD Route for Medical Graduates

A parallel MD-PhD Program exists for applicants who have studied medicine and hold a degree qualifying them for clinical training in their home country. Laboratory research experience is strongly recommended.

translate

No English Certificate Required

FMI does not require an English certificate, though English is the working language of the institute. For Sri Lankan applicants who studied in English but cannot easily fund an IELTS sitting, this removes a real barrier — your written application and interview carry the evidence instead.

payments

Employment, Not a Fee Waiver

Because this is salaried support on the SNSF scale rather than a tuition scholarship, there is no fee to fund and the income supports living costs in Basel. Treat the Swiss residence permit as a work-linked doctoral permit rather than a self-funded student one.

account_tree Application Process

Choose your round and prepare the application

Applications open 1 September for the autumn round and 15 February for the spring round. Prepare your CV, attested master's transcripts and certificate, research statement and referee details in advance.

Submit by the closing date

The autumn round closes 15 November and the spring round closes 1 May. Late applications roll to the next cycle.

Interviews

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed in January (autumn round) or June (spring round). Expect detailed technical discussion of your master's research.

Contract and Swiss residence permit

Successful candidates receive a doctoral employment arrangement paid on the SNSF scale. Apply for the Swiss residence permit with your contract and FMI's supporting documents; allow time for Sri Lankan document attestation.

Why the Friedrich Miescher Institute?

FMI is a world-class basic biomedical research institute in Basel, affiliated with the University of Basel and the Novartis Research Foundation, with a concentrated focus on epigenetics, neurobiology and quantitative biology. Doctoral researchers there are paid staff on Swiss national rates, not fee-paying students.

SNSF

Salary scale applied

2

Application rounds a year

None

English certificate required

Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?

Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.

calculate