Das Fellowship-Programm am NFS Automation

Unser Fellowship-Programm richtet sich an motivierte Studierende aus dem Ausland, die bei uns ihre Masterarbeit schreiben oder ein Forschungsprojekt durchführen wollen.
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Für 2025 werden keine Bewerbungen mehr angenommen. Die Gewinnerinnen und Gewinner werden im Oktober benachrichtigt. 

Ein Forschungsaustausch kann ein wegweisender Schritt für die professionelle Laufbahn sein. Er erweitert den wissenschaftlichen Horizont sowie das persönliche Netzwerk und er stärkt das Selbstvertrauen. Der NFS Automation startet bereits in die dritte Runde mit seinem Fellowship-Programm zur Förderung der Interdisziplinarität und der internationalen Forschungsarbeit. Mit unserem Labor und unserem umfassenden Netzwerk bieten wir Studierenden eine ausgezeichnete Betreuung und gezieltes Mentoring sowie eine anregende Forschungsumgebung und ein gutes soziales Umfeld. Wir freuen uns, Forschende aus dem Ausland in unseren Forschungsgruppen willkommen zu heissen.

Eligibility

The fellowship is available to Master's students, PhD candidates or postdoctoral researchers who fulfil the following criteria: 

  • You are currently engaged with an education or research programme that complements the research group that you are applying to work with.
  • You remain enrolled or employed at your home institution until the end of the fellowship.
  • For PhD students and postdoctoral researchers: You will continue to receive your salary from your home institution.
  • You have not studied or worked at the institution which will host you in Switzerland in the past. 
  • You meet the requirements of the host institution. Find links in the FAQ.

Details

  • Duration: max. 6 months, to be concluded no later than 31.07.2026. 
  • Budget:
    • Fellows will receive a contribution to the increased costs of living in Switzerland during the period of the visit. The amount will be calculated based on the estimated study and living costs for international students by ETHZ and considering individual needs and additional sources of income, if applicable. 
    • The PI supervising the student will cover project-related expenses, such as travel costs to NCCR Automation meetings.
  • Applicants must declare any scholarships they benefit from during their research stay with us.

Deliverables

  • Research report;
  • Financial report;
  • Any resulting publications must include mention of the fellowship: "This work was supported by NCCR Automation, grant agreement 51NF40_180545 from the Swiss National Science Foundation."

How to apply

A good application takes time and requires your commitment. 

  • CV (max. 2 pages) with publications (if relevant);
  • Motivation letter for Master's student (max. 2 pages);
  • Research proposal for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers (covering your research question and how you intend to go about answering the question or contribute to answering it, with an accompanying plan and/or timeline max. 2 pages);
  • Letter of support from home institution and supervisor;
  • Copy of university degree(s) and/or transcripts;
  • Candidates must choose up to three research topics and three principal investigators (PIs) within the NCCR Automation to act as host in case of a successful application. A list of PIs can be found on the application form or on the people page of this website or on FAQ page.  
  • Candidates should specify any sort of income from the home institution or from any other sources during the period of the fellowship, if any. 

Application procedure and selection criteria

  • Only applications received on the application platform before 30.06.25 at 17:00 (CEST) will be considered. 
  • The applications will be evaluated by an internal NCCR Automation committee. 
  • The selection criteria are:
    • potential of the applicant for research at NCCR Automation;
    • alignment with the fellowship's goals of promoting international collaboration and interdisciplinarity. 
  • Both successful and unsuccessful candidates will be personally notified in October 2025.  
  • Earliest start date: January 2026. 

We value diversity

The NCCR Automation encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Please see our Equal Opportunities page for more details on our commitment. 

Questions and feedback

Do you have additional questions? Please have a look at the frequently asked questions and write to Silvia Garbari for further information.

Flyer for fellowship programme