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

Three different types of fully funded scholarships are offered starting in September 2022 in all academic fields:

1. PhD Scholarships
   • The scholarship is valid for 12 months and renewable for a maximum of 3 years
   • Applicants should have a Master’s degree or equivalent University degree recognized by a Swiss University.
   • The applicant must not be older than 35 years at the time of application (born after 31 December 1986)

2. Postdoctoral Scholarships
   • The scholarship is valid for 12 months and renewable for a maximum of 6 months.
   • The applicants should have a PhD degree.
   • There cannot be a gap of more than 5 years between the award of the PhD and the application deadline (PhD degree achieved after 31 December 2018 and before 31 July 2022)

3. Research Scholarships
   • The Scholarship is intended for highly qualified postdoctoral researchers from all academic fields as well as young Medical Doctors.
   • The scholarship is valid for 12 months maximum and non-renewable.
   • The applicant should have a Master’s degree or equivalent
   • The applicant must not be older than 35 years at the time of application (born after 31 December 1986)

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

a) Candidate profile
b) Quality of the research project or artistic work
c) Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

Funding from the Swiss Confederation

The following expenses are funded through the scholarships:

• Stipend: Postdoctoral research: CHF 3500/month
• Stipend: PhD and Research scholarship: CHF 1920/month
• Mandatory Swiss health insurance
• One-time lump sum of CHF 300.- with the first grant payment to help for payment of the housing deposit.
• Flight allowance (lump sum) for a ticket back to their country of origin (provided at the end of the scholarship).
• One-year half-fare public transportation card.

Get a scholarship to study in Switzerland for your PhD, Post Doc or as a Research Fellow.

Register for the introductory webinar:

Date: Tuesday, 31 August 2021
Time: 4.30 PM

For more information, kindly refer to the relevant attached poster or please visit: www.sbfi.admin.ch/scholarships_eng and www.studyinswitzerland.plus

To enquire about the full application package, please contact the Embassy of Switzerland in South Africa by email: pretoria.science@eda.admin.ch

Embassy of Switzerland to South Africa,
Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mauritius and Namibia
Phone +27 12 452 0660 (switchboard)
www.eda.admin.ch/pretoria