ETH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Early-Career Research at ETH Zurich ETH Zurich in Switzerland

ETH Zurich is inviting applications for the ETH Postdoctoral Fellowship programme (ETH Fellows), a prestigious early-career postdoctoral opportunity for outstanding incoming researchers.

The fellowship is designed to support academic independence and scientific excellence, with fellows expected to propose their own independent research projects and work in strong synergy with an ETH Zurich professor who acts as mentor.

Research areas: the call is broad and suitable for candidates across STEM and related fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, electrical engineering, materials science, and environmental science.

Eligibility highlights: applicants must hold a PhD or complete it within six months of the deadline; if already awarded, the doctorate must be no more than two years old. Applicants must have at least one peer-reviewed publication or a doctoral thesis prize. There are also mobility restrictions regarding prior residence/activity in Switzerland and at ETH Zurich/University of Zurich/ETH-domain institutes.

Funding: the fellowship covers the fellow’s salary at 100% according to ETH standards and includes CHF 12,000 per year for research expenses, travel/mobility, and research cost contributions. The award lasts two years and cannot be extended.

Application process: submit through ETH Zurich’s eResearch system, upload the required project description templates and supporting documents, and add the host professor and two external referees in the system. Referees must send letters directly to the Grants Office at least 10 days before the deadline.

Deadline: annual deadlines are 1 March and 1 September at 17:00 Swiss local time. For the 2026 call, the deadline is 1 September 2026.

Institution: ETH Zurich, Switzerland.