Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2023-2024

For Foreign Scholars and Artists for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Each year, the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or Ph.D. and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.

Types of scholarship

• The research scholarship is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree as a minimum) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at doctoral or post-doctoral level (research fellowship, PhD, Postdoc).
  Research scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences and the two federal institutes of technology, as well as the four research institutes. Only candidates nominated by an academic mentor at one of these higher education institutions will be considered.
• Art scholarships are open to art students wishing to pursue an initial master’s degree in Switzerland (arts).
  Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts. This scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only.

Scholarship Benefits and Duration

I must say this is a big scholarship, and you should try hard and soul.

• Research scholarship: 1’920.- Swiss Francs per month = 23’040.- CHF for 1 year
• PhD scholarship: 1’920.- Swiss Francs per month = 23’040.- CHF for 1 year
• Arts scholarship: 1’920.- Swiss Francs per month = 23’040.- CHF for 1 year
• Postdoctoral scholarship: 3’500.- Swiss Francs per month = 42’000.- CHF for 1 year
• You will not get any financial support for fieldwork or for conferences. Grant holders receive a one-year half-fare public transportation card in Switzerland. Support services organize various trips, dinners, and sightseeing tours for Swiss Government Scholarship holders will be provided.
• All scholarship holders receive a one-time lump sum of CHF 300.- with the first grant payment to help them pay part of the housing deposit.
• The FCS does not pay for tuition and/or semester fees. In some cases the universities and the Federal
• Institute of Technology do require scholarship holders to pay semester fees (generally around 600.- CHF per semester) or at least reduced tuition fees. In some cases the universities do not waive the PhD fees.
• In case the Universities and the Universities of Applied Sciences and Art Schools should not waive the fees, it is up to the grantee to pay for the fees.
• According to the Swiss law, every resident in Switzerland must be covered by a Health Care Insurance (except for dental care). For non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: the FCS pays mandatory Swiss health insurance. Please note, each FCS scholarship holder from an EU and EFTA Member State is responsible for his/her insurance coverage and all resulting costs.
• Grantees from EU and EFTA member states pay for their own travel expenses to Switzerland as well as back to their country of origin.
• Grantees from outside the European Union and the EFTA pay for their own travel expenses to Switzerland, but Scholarship holders from non-EU and non-EFTA countries receive a return flight allowance (lump sum depending upon the country of origin) for a ticket back to their country of origin (provided at the end of the scholarship).
• However, the return allowance will not be paid if the scholarship holders extend their stay in Switzerland beyond six months after completion of their research, if they take up employment pending the continuation of their research or if they move to a Third country.
• Valid for all scholarship types: There are no allowances for international conferences. Fieldwork
• Once the scholarship is awarded, Ph.D. scholarship holders may submit a special request regarding their Ph.D. thesis and the potentially necessary fieldwork. The scholarship may continue during the fieldwork for up to six months. No additional financial support is possible though for fieldwork by FCS.

How to apply for Swiz Excellence Scholarship?

Select the continent with your country of origin (this is the country according to your passport) for receiving further information and the application documents.

Check the application deadline and the different types of scholarships on offer. These vary according to country. You will also find details where you can get answers to your questions.
 

Selection Process

All applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss diplomatic representation. The short-listed applications are then assessed by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which takes the final decision.

According to these three criteria, you will be selected for this scholarship:

1. Candidate profile
2. Quality of the research project or artistic work
3. Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

N.B The FCS is composed of professors from all Swiss public universities. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.

Awards

The FCS will announce its decisions regarding the new scholarship awards by the end of May at the latest.

Outlook

The FCS will select scholarship holders for the 2023-24 academic year by the end of May 2023. Scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year will be advertised online from August 2023.

Official Website: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for International Students