Funding Programs for Industrial Doctoral Programs in Switzerland - 2025-2026 Synthesis

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PRACTICAL INFORMATION

CONTACTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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1. MAIN FUNDING MECHANISMS

The Swiss doctoral system is characterized by:

• Duration: 3-5 years on average
• Status: Doctoral candidates are often employed as research assistants with a salary
• Fees: CHF 580-730 per semester (approximately CHF 1,298-1,598 per year) at ETH Zurich, with similar fees at EPFL Comparing the Top Universities in Switzerland: ETH Zurich or EPFL? | QSChina

Cost of living: CHF 1,900-2,050 per month to cover all expenses 

MAIN FUNDING MECHANISMS

A. INNOSUISSE - Swiss Innovation Agency

Overview: Innosuisse is the Swiss Innovation Agency that supports SMEs, start-ups, research institutions and other Swiss organizations in their research and development activities Innosuisse – your partner for innovation.

Key Programs:

1. Innovation Projects with Implementation Partner

• Financial support for science-based innovation projects conducted jointly by industrial partners and a research institution Innosuisse: Innovation projects with implementation partner
• Funding: Companies cover 40-60% of total project costs
• Disciplines: All scientific fields
• Submission: Continuous calls

2. Start-up Innovation Projects

• Up to 70% of direct project costs, for start-ups less than 5 years old Innosuisse: Start-up innovation projects – Funding Database
• 4 decision sessions in 2025
• Application 8 weeks before Innovation Council meetings

Eligibility:

• Partnership between Swiss academic institutions and companies
• Projects are generally embedded in large-scale research initiatives (Innosuisse, SNSF, Horizon Europe) PhD programme | ZHAW School of Engineering

Contact: https://www.innosuisse.admin.ch/en

B. SWISS GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIPS (FCS/ESKAS)

Description: Each year the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to encourage international exchange and research cooperation with over 180 countries Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2026 – 2027.

For Doctoral Candidates:

• Funding: CHF 3,500 per month for postdocs, renewable up to 36 months for PhDs in 3 steps of 12 months based on academic results Swiss Government Excellence scholarships for foreign scholars 2025-2026 (Incoming)
• Eligible Institutions: All Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, two federal institutes of technology and four research institutes 
• Requirements:

• Master's degree obtained before July 31, 2025 (June 30 for ETH Zurich), applicants born after December 31, 1989 
• Mandatory letter from academic host professor
• Research proposal with timeline

2025-26 Calendar:

• Start date: September 1, 2025
• 2026-27 Applications open: August 4, 2025

Contact

C. INDUSTRIAL PhD SWITZERLAND

Structure: Pioneering initiative focused on global collaboration and cross-cultural academic exchange, structured through a unique partner model involving the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland), Tel Aviv University (Israel), Aalto University (Finland), and UWS (UK) Struktur EN — Industrial PhD Schweiz.

Features:

• Duration: 3 years
• Split: 80% work in company / 20% research Struktur EN — Industrial PhD Schweiz
• Fields: Business, AI, customer orientation, computer science
• Start: October 2025

Prerequisites:

• First-class Master's degree in a relevant discipline (business administration, business informatics or engineering), significant professional experience, target-oriented research proposal Struktur EN — Industrial PhD Schweiz

Location: Based at the Herman Hollerith research center in the Stuttgart area, with activities in Switzerland for several years Home EN — Industrial PhD Schweiz

Contact

D. MSCA DOCTORAL NETWORKS (Horizon Europe)

Overview: MSCA Doctoral Networks aim to train entrepreneurial, innovative and resilient doctoral candidates, able to face current and future challenges MSCA Doctoral Networks - European Research Executive Agency.

Three Implementation Modes:

1. Industrial Doctorates (ID)

• Doctoral candidates develop skills in industry and business by being jointly supervised by academic and non-academic organizations MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025

2. Joint Doctorates (JD)

• Highly integrated international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration leading to joint doctoral degree or multiple doctoral degrees Doctoral Networks - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

3. Standard Doctoral Networks (DN)

Eligibility:

• Swiss organizations can participate in MSCA Doctoral Networks (DN) as 'Beneficiaries'. Doctoral candidates employed by a Swiss institution count towards the maximum person months per consortium (540 person months) MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025
• At approval, should the association agreement not be in place, SERI will fund the projects MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025

Budget and Duration:

• Up to 4 years (5 years for Joint Doctorates) MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025
• 2025 indicative budget: €597.8 million

2025 Calendar:

• Call launch: May 28, 2025
• Info Days: June 24, 2025
• Submission deadline: November 25, 2025
• Notification: April 2026
• Projects start: August 2026

Contact

E. SWISS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (SNSF)

Important Note: From 2025, SNSF focuses on research project funding and postdoctoral careers, having discontinued Doc.CH and its contribution to the MD-PhD scheme Concentration of funding portfolio from 2025.

Programs Available for Doctoral Candidates:

1. Project Funding (main mechanism)

• Doctoral students are funded within research projects
• Increased salaries for doctoral students employed in projects

2. SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowships (for after PhD)

3. National Centers of Competence in Research (NCCR)

• Short-term visiting fellowships available

Contact

F. ETH DOMAIN INSTITUTIONS PROGRAMS

ETH Zurich & EPFL

1. Joint Doctoral Program in Learning Sciences

• First joint doctoral program between the two federal institutions EPFL and ETH Zurich launch their first joint doctoral programme | ETH Zurich
• Duration: 4 years
• Funded by Jacobs Foundation

2. Life Science Zurich Graduate School

• 16 highly competitive doctoral programs, run jointly by ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich Doctoral study programmes | ETH Zurich

Empa (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology)

• More than 200 highly motivated PhD students, around 30 finish their dissertations each year, majority enrolled at the two ETHs in Zurich and Lausanne 
• Many PhD students have the opportunity to establish valuable contacts with Empa's industrial partners 
• Applications-oriented research

Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)

• Largest research institute for natural and engineering sciences in Switzerland, about one quarter of 2,300 employees are postdoctoral researchers, doctoral students or apprentices 
• Part of ETH Domain
• Annual budget: CHF 450 million

G. UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES

ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences)

Doctoral programs in partnership with University of Zurich (Data Science), ETH Zurich (Biomedical Science and Health Innovations since 2025), and Università Ca' Foscari Venice PhD programme | ZHAW School of Engineering

Features:

• Doctoral students are generally employed as scientific assistants, dissertation is normally embedded in a fairly large research project (Innosuisse, SNSF, Horizon Europe) PhD programme | ZHAW School of Engineering
• Enrollment in partner university doctoral program
• Degree always awarded by partner university

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2. PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Costs and Funding:

• Relatively low tuition fees due to generous government support PhD in Switzerland – Fees and Funding Guide 2025
• Doctoral students are typically employed as research assistants, receiving a salary 
• Doctoral examination fees: CHF 800-1,200

Visa and Insurance:

• Non-EU/EEA students require a visa
• Health insurance mandatory

Language:

• English: essential for most programs
• German/French/Italian: depending on location

General Timeline:

• Most doctoral positions advertised year-round
• No fixed admission period for majority of programs
• Government scholarships: applications September-December

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3. CONTACTS AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Opportunity Search Portals:

• EURAXESS
• Funding & Tender Opportunities Portal (Horizon Europe)
• Individual university websites

Main Agencies:

• SBFI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation)
• Innosuisse
• SNSF: https://www.snf.ch
• SERI (State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation): for MSCA projects

Key Statistics:

• SNSF funds excellent research at universities and other institutions – from chemistry to medicine to sociology. Thousands of teams are generating knowledge for a better future for all Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

Key 2025 Dates:

• August 4, 2025: Excellence Scholarships 2026-27 applications open
• October 2025: Industrial PhD Switzerland starts
• November 25, 2025: MSCA Doctoral Networks 2025 deadline