Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027–2028 (CHF 2,450/Month)

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027–2028 support international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and more than 180 countries. The programme is currently open to applicants from 183 countries and offers research and art scholarship routes. The scholarship amount is CHF 2,450 per month, and applications are free of charge.

Quick Overview

Programme: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027–2028
Awarding Body: Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS/ESKAS)
Country: Switzerland
Scholarship Types: Research Scholarships and Art Scholarships
Eligible Countries: Applicants from 183 countries
Funding: CHF 2,450 per month
Maximum Age: 35
Applications Open From: August 20, 2026

About the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

The Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships each year to encourage international exchange and research cooperation.

Recipients are selected by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students, also known as FCS or ESKAS.

The scholarships are mainly intended for talented early-career researchers from abroad who have already completed a Master’s degree. A separate art scholarship route is available for eligible students seeking an initial Master’s degree in an artistic field.

Scholarship Amount

The scholarship types overview lists financial support of:

✓ CHF 2,450 per month

The official page also confirms that applying for a Swiss Government Scholarship is free of charge.

Applicants should use official Swiss Government channels when preparing and submitting their applications. The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation warns applicants about fraudulent scholarship offers requesting money for costs such as visas or social insurance.

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Research Scholarships

Research scholarships are available to postgraduate researchers in any academic discipline who want to conduct research in Switzerland.

Research may take place at:

• A Swiss cantonal university
• A university of applied sciences
• ETH Zurich
• EPFL
• One of the four research institutes within the ETH Domain: PSI, WSL, Empa, or Eawag

Applicants must have the support of an academic supervisor in Switzerland. The supervisor must be willing to direct and guide the applicant’s proposed research.

The official scholarship overview lists a maximum age of 35.

Art Scholarships

Art scholarships are available to students who want to pursue their first Master’s degree in an artistic field in Switzerland.

This scholarship route is available only to applicants from a limited number of countries.

Eligible studies may be pursued through the relevant Swiss art scholarship framework.

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Who Can Apply?

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are mainly aimed at talented early-career researchers from abroad who have already completed a Master’s degree.

For research scholarships, applicants must be postgraduate researchers and need an academic supervisor in Switzerland who supports the proposed research.

Art scholarship applicants must be seeking an initial Master’s degree in an artistic field. This route is limited to applicants from specified countries.

The programme is currently open to applicants from 183 countries.

Applicants should therefore check the scholarship options available for their country of origin before preparing an application.

Application Process

Applications for the 2027–2028 scholarship cycle are open starting August 20, 2026.

Applicants should review the scholarship category available to their country and prepare the required application through the official Swiss Government scholarship process.

Research scholarship applicants must first ensure that their proposed research is supported by an academic supervisor in Switzerland.

Applications are submitted to Swiss diplomatic representations.

Selection Process

The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students assesses applications according to three main criteria:

• Candidate profile
• Quality of the research project or artistic work
• Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

The FCS is responsible for selecting scholarship recipients.

Award decisions for the following academic year are announced by the end of May at the latest.

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Application Deadline

Application deadlines and available scholarship types are determined according to the applicant’s country of origin.

Applicants should check the official country-specific scholarship information and applicable deadline before submitting their application.

Applications for the 2027–2028 cycle are open starting August 20, 2026.

Official Link

Review the official scholarship details and follow the application instructions provided on the official page.

View the Official Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2027–2028 Application Information