AI Admissions Scholarships 2027 at ETH Zurich Center for Foreign Applicants
Could your next research project connect artificial intelligence with medicine, robotics, climate science or the mathematics behind machine learning? The ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowship 2027 is open for around 8–12 doctoral positions in Zurich, Switzerland, with two supervisors from different research fields and a typical September 2027 start.
You can apply while finishing your master’s degree, but timing matters: you must complete it by June 2027 and at least three months before your fellowship begins. This is a salaried doctoral position, so your application needs to show both research potential and a convincing reason to work across disciplines.
Build your ETH AI fellowship application
Can International Applicants and Current Master’s Students Apply?
Yes: the call states no nationality restriction, and current master’s students can apply if they meet the completion timetable. Relevant backgrounds include computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, applied mathematics and other suitable fields.
A bachelor’s degree alone does not meet this fellowship’s published requirement. You also need an excellent academic record and eligibility for doctoral admission at ETH Zurich. If your master’s finishes after June 2027, do not assume a flexible fellowship start will remove the stated degree-completion condition.
Your English must support research discussions and written reporting. The call does not publish an IELTS or TOEFL threshold; check any additional admission requirements applicable to your circumstances rather than treating this as a universal language-test waiver.
What Does the ETH AI Center’s Salaried PhD Offer?
Selected fellows receive a fully funded, full-time employment contract while pursuing their doctorate. The fellowship webpage identifies rate 5 remuneration and publishes CHF 73,100 for year one, CHF 78,300 for year two and CHF 83,500 for year three.
Treat those as the published salary figures, not guaranteed take-home income for September 2027. ETH’s general salary information states that the applicable rate is recorded in the employment contract. Confirm your salary, deductions and any doctoral fees when reviewing an offer.
The appointment normally lasts three years. A fourth year can be approved to finish the thesis if progress is good; it is not automatic. Fellows work at the AI Center, receive joint supervision and can explore optional industry or entrepreneurial tracks alongside research.
Which Documents and Research Ideas Should You Prepare for ETH AI?
Prepare your academic records, CV, motivation letter, research-interest video and references before submitting. Build a clear connection between your existing skills and the interdisciplinary research you want to pursue.
| Application item | What to prepare | Practical focus |
|---|---|---|
| CV | Detailed academic CV; publications and awards where applicable. | Identify your contribution to projects. |
| Academic records | Scanned degree certificates and transcripts. | Show completed qualifications and current master’s progress. |
| Motivation letter | 1–2 pages outlining your research interests. | Connect your background with ETH AI and interdisciplinary work. |
| Video | 2–5 minutes describing your research interests. | Explain the problem and your intended approach clearly. |
| References | Two mandatory letters; a third is optional. | Arrange eligible referees before submitting. |
You select interests in AI foundations and application areas. Examples include trustworthy AI, language models, computer vision and reinforcement learning, alongside medicine, energy, climate or robotics. A strong application explains why the combination matters: for example, how reliable machine learning could improve a specific medical decision.
A separate research statement is listed for postdoctoral applicants, not doctoral applicants. For this doctoral call, develop your research direction through the requested letter, video and form. Our guide to structuring scholarship statements offers optional writing support; follow ETH’s own instructions for the final submission.
How Do You Apply Without a Prior Supervisor Acceptance Letter?
You can apply without contacting faculty beforehand. Mentor preferences can be indicated in the application; selection and doctoral admission still need to be completed.
- Choose a research direction. Use the ETH AI guidelines and mentor information to identify relevant interests and potential supervisors.
- Prepare and review your materials. Read the official fellowship FAQs, including referee eligibility. At least two doctoral referees must be lecturer, group leader, principal scientist, independent investigator or above. A maximum of one may be a postdoc; PhD students and classmates are not eligible referees.
- Submit online. Complete the ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowship 2027 application and upload the required documents by October 27. Email and postal applications are not accepted. Check everything carefully: submitted applications cannot be edited.
- Forward the reference links. Your confirmation email contains three individual links. Send one to each referee so they can upload directly by the reference deadline.
- Check completion. A reference link displaying “This questionnaire has already been completed” confirms submission. Missing references prevent consideration.
When Is the ETH AI Fellowship Deadline, and What Happens Next?
The last date to apply for the ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowship 2027 at ETH Zurich is October 27, 2026, at 16:00 CET. This is 8:00 p.m. Pakistan time on the same date. Reference letters are due by November 2, 2026, at 23:59 CET; arrange them earlier where possible.
Shortlisted applicants attend an online doctoral selection symposium on February 1–2, 2027, with a research talk and mentor interviews. Offers are expected by the end of March 2027. The usual start is September 2027, with changes requiring agreement.
Prepare to explain a project you have actually worked on: the research question, your contribution, the result and its limitations. That gives potential supervisors a concrete basis for discussing your proposed doctoral direction.
