Swiss Government Excellence

Key facts

What the Swiss Government Excellence covers — and why it's worth applying

Funds research/PhD at Swiss universities. The award (CHF 2,450/month) is aimed at PhD & Research (also Master's in the arts track) study in Switzerland, and goes to Under 35; Research Fellowship needs a completed Master's AND a Swiss supervisor secured in advance. Apply via your Swiss embassy, not direct.

Beyond the money, prestigious scholarships like this strengthen your CV, open alumni and professional networks, and can make your visa application stronger by proving your funding. Even if you're unsure you'll win, applying costs nothing here and the process sharpens your SOP for every other application.

How to apply (and stand out)

1. Confirm you meet the eligibility: Under 35; Research Fellowship needs a completed Master's AND a Swiss supervisor secured in advance. Apply via your Swiss embassy, not direct.
2. Read the official criteria carefully and note exactly what the scholarship values.
3. Secure your university admission or nomination first, where it's required.
4. Write a specific, story-led SOP that ties your goals to the scholarship's mission — build and refine yours free with our SOP tool.
5. Line up strong, tailored recommendation letters early (referees need 2–3 weeks).
6. Highlight leadership, impact and a clear plan for how you'll use the opportunity.
7. Submit well before the Opens 20 August; decisions by 31 May deadline, and prepare for an interview if you're shortlisted.

Always verify amounts, eligibility and deadlines on the official scholarship website — these change every year.

Official source

Every figure on this page is indicative and the awarding body can change it without notice. Check the current amount, eligibility and deadline here before you apply:

Open the official Swiss Government Excellence website →

External link to the awarding body. LandingPrep is not affiliated with it and does not process applications.

Where the Swiss Government Excellence sits among PhD & Research (also Master's in the arts track) funding

The Swiss Government Excellence is the only Switzerland award in our dataset, so there is no national set to compare it against. The table below shows other PhD & Research (also Master's in the arts track) awards instead — a different country, but the same stage of study, which is usually the more useful comparison anyway when you are deciding where to apply. Almost nobody wins funding from a single application, so the useful question is not whether to apply for the Swiss Government Excellence but what else goes on the list beside it.

• Funding deadlines run ahead of admission deadlines. The Swiss Government Excellence closes Opens 20 August; decisions by 31 May, and for most awards the money is decided weeks or months before a place is. Applying "on time" for the course and late for the funding is the single most expensive ordinary mistake in this process, and it costs nothing to avoid.
• Some awards need admission or nomination first. Where that is the case the real deadline is the one on the university application, not the one on the scholarship page, because you cannot meet the second without having cleared the first.
• One tailored application beats six generic ones. Every award publishes what it is for. The applications that fail are usually the ones that describe an excellent candidate without ever connecting them to that specific purpose.
• Amounts are rarely what they look like. A full-tuition award in an expensive city can leave a larger gap than a smaller stipend somewhere cheaper. Compare what is left unfunded, not what is granted.

Amounts, eligibility and deadlines are indicative and set by the awarding bodies, who change them without notice. Verify every figure on the official source before you rely on it — including the ones on this page.