Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and awarded by the Federal Commission for Scholarships (FCS). They support international researchers at the PhD and postdoctoral level at Swiss public universities, the two Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH Zurich and EPFL), and university hospitals. Sri Lanka has its own country-specific quota each cycle, with applications managed through the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo.
Swiss Confederation (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation)
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
PhD Stipend
CHF 2,450/month
Postdoc Stipend
CHF 3,500/month
Extras
CHF 600 Housing + Insurance + Half-Fare Travel Card
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Master's Degree
PhD applicants must hold a Master's degree (or be in the final year). Postdoc applicants must have completed (or be completing) a PhD between January 2023 and July 2026 — ETH Zurich's PhD deadline is 30 June 2026.
Age Limit
Applicants must be born after 31 December 1990 (i.e., under 35–36 years old). This is non-negotiable.
Confirmed Swiss Supervisor
Every applicant must have a confirmed academic supervisor at a Swiss public university, ETH/EPFL, or recognised research institute. Applications without a supervisor letter are rejected at first screening.
Language Proficiency
Sufficient command of the language of instruction — usually English for research roles, but French or German may be required at some institutions. IELTS 6.5+ or equivalent is standard.
account_tree Application Process
Find a Swiss supervisor
Identify a Swiss professor whose research aligns with yours and secure a confirmation letter agreeing to supervise. This is the single most important step and usually takes 2–4 months.
Prepare your application package
- CV with research output
- Research proposal (5 pages)
- Two academic references
- Master's/PhD transcripts and degree certificate
- Supervisor confirmation letter from Switzerland
- Medical certificate
- Language proficiency certificate
Submit to Embassy of Switzerland Colombo
Sri Lankan applicants submit a complete paper application to the Embassy of Switzerland in Colombo by the country-specific deadline (typically late November/early December).
FCS selection in Bern
The Embassy forwards shortlisted applications to the Federal Commission for Scholarships in Bern. Final results are announced in May for September entry.
Why Switzerland?
Switzerland has the highest density of top-ranked research universities in Europe — ETH Zurich and EPFL consistently rank in the global top 20. PhD researchers are paid employees (not students) and the scholarship's monthly stipend covers a comfortable Zurich/Geneva cost of living.
CHF 36k+
Annual PhD Stipend Total
12+12+12
PhD Months (Renewable to 36)
180+
Eligible Countries Worldwide
Similar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme
French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
Holland Scholarship (NL Scholarship)
Dutch Ministry of Education / Nuffic
DAAD Master's Scholarship
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)