EPFL - CYD fellowships

Research Service

1. CYD Doctoral Fellowships

Deadline

• Stage 1 deadline: 19 August 2026 (17:00 CET)

Eligibility

• Open to any nationality
• No age limits
• Must be enrolled in a doctoral program at a Swiss higher education institution at Stage 2
• Must have endorsement from a Swiss professor
• Applicants may apply at any stage of their PhD, but priority is given to candidates who have not yet started or are at the beginning of their PhD
• Project must involve collaboration between CYD Campus and at least one Swiss higher education institution

Funding and duration

• Duration: up to 4 years, with a possible 1-year extension
• Salary contribution according to host institution scale
• Research costs: CHF 3’000 per year
• Conference costs: CHF 5’000 per year

 

2. CYD Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships

Deadline

• Stage 1 deadline:19 August 2026 (17:00 CET)

Eligibility

• Open to any nationality
• No age limits
• Must have endorsement from a professor employed at a Swiss higher education institution
• Postdoctoral research must be conducted in a different laboratory from that of the applicant’s PhD or current postdoc
• Project must involve collaboration between CYD Campus and at least one Swiss higher education institution

Funding and duration

• Duration: up to 2 years
• Salary contribution per host institution rules
• Research costs: CHF 3’000 per year
• Conference costs: CHF 5’000 per year

3. CYD Master Thesis Fellowships

Deadline

• Rolling call (no deadline)

Eligibility

• Open to any nationality
• No age limits
• Must be enrolled in a Master program at a Swiss university or university of applied sciences
• Must have endorsement from a Swiss professor/supervisor
• Applicant may apply for a CYD-defined thesis topic or propose their own

Funding and duration

• Duration: 6 months
• Living allowance: CHF 2’500 per month
• Research costs: up to CHF 1’500
• For EPFL students: allowance is paid as salary (subject to social contributions)

Timeline of the call

• Continuous submission and evaluation
• No fixed annual cycle

4. CYD Proof of Concept Fellowships

Deadline

• Rolling call (no deadline)

Eligibility

• Open to any nationality
• No age limits
• Must hold or be pursuing a Bachelor, Master, or Doctoral degree recognized in Switzerland
• Must be hosted by:
– a Swiss higher education research center, or
– the applicant’s own Swiss-based startup, or
– EPFL Innovation Park
• Project must aim toward an innovative, entrepreneurial cyber-defence solution

Funding and duration

• Maximum funding: up to CHF 130’000
• Duration: 12 months
• Covers personnel and development costs essential for the proof of concept

Timeline of the call

• Continuous submission (rolling call)
• Two-stage evaluation; final decisions made throughout the year

Contact

Marcello Triulzio
Website

1.CYD Doctoral Fellowships

2.CYD Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships

3.CYD Master Thesis Fellowship

4.CYD Proof of Concept Fellowship