Funding: Swiss Government EXCELLENCE Scholarships 2023/2024

Deadline: November 20, 2022

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 PhD and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.

Full description of the scholarships can be found here on the web-page of the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Science and Innovation.

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 scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences and the two federal institutes of technology. 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. 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.

Selection criteria

The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:

  • Candidate profile
  • Quality of the research project or artistic work
  • Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

For Bulgaria the Swiss Government offers the following opportunities:

  • Arts Scholarships – To enable selected applicants to undertake initial Master’s studies at conservatories or art schools affiliated with universities of applied sciences: 12 months (September – August) – prolongable up to 21 months at most
    depending on the Master programme chosen and the necessary ECTS credits.
  • Research Scholarships for foreign students – To enable selected applicants to undertake research in the realm of their PhD or medical specialisation at one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities, the two Swiss federal institutes of technology, the public teaching and research institutes or the universities of applied sciences.
  • PhD Scholarships – To enable selected applicants to undertake a PhD at one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities, the two Swiss federal institutes of technology or the Graduate Institute.
  • Postdoctoral Scholarships – To enable selected applicants to undertake a postdoctoral research at one of the 10 Swiss cantonal universities, the two Swiss federal institutes of technology, the public teaching and research institutes or the universities of applied sciences.

Deadline for submission of the application documents: 20th November, 2022.