PhD in Applied Macroeconomics and Political Economy at ETH Zurich ETH Zurich in Switzerland

ETH Zurich is advertising fully funded PhD positions in Applied Macroeconomics and Political Economy at the KOF Swiss Economic Institute in Switzerland. The opportunity is aimed at ambitious graduates who want to build a doctoral research career in empirical economics, policy-relevant analysis, and advanced quantitative research.

The research environment is centered on the Chair of Applied Macroeconomics within the Department of Management, Technology and Economics (D-MTEC). Successful candidates will join both the Chair and KOF Swiss Economic Institute, working closely with supervisors to develop an individualized dissertation project rather than a fixed topic. The post highlights research themes such as globalization and fiscal policy, international taxation, political economy, applied macroeconomics, international economics, migration and labour markets, and corruption and governance.

Methodologically, the position is strongly oriented toward econometrics and empirical analysis, including panel-data methods, time-series econometrics, causal inference, forecasting, and statistical modelling. Candidates will work with a wide range of datasets such as firm-level, household, country-level, administrative, survey, geospatial, and macroeconomic data.

The post is fully funded and includes a competitive gross salary under ETH Zurich regulations for an expected duration of 4–5 years. The initial appointment is 18 months, with extension possible based on satisfactory progress. ETH Zurich also offers an international research environment, conference participation, mentoring, and access to advanced datasets and seminars.

Eligibility is aimed at applicants with a completed Master’s degree in Economics or a closely related discipline. Candidates from quantitative backgrounds such as Statistics, Data Science, Political Science, Finance, or Public Policy may also be considered if they have sufficient economics training. Strong quantitative skills, knowledge of econometrics and statistics, experience with Stata, Python, or R, and excellent English communication skills are expected. A Master’s thesis, research paper, or equivalent writing sample is required; German is optional and considered an advantage.

Applications must be submitted through the official ETH Zurich online application portal. Required documents include a motivation letter, CV without a photograph, writing sample, transcript, copies of degrees/certificates, and contact details for two or three referees. The deadline is 30 September 2026.