Merit Leaders blog

How to Apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship 2027–28

If you are finishing a master's degree and dream of doing a PhD or a research stay in Switzerland, one scholarship deserves a place on your shortlist: the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship. Many embassy deadlines fall between now and early December, so this is the moment to act.

This guide explains what the scholarship is, who can apply, and how to prepare, step by step. You can also see our listing here: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship on Merit Leaders.

What is it?

The scholarship is offered by the Swiss Confederation to young researchers from abroad. It lets you do doctoral or research work at a Swiss public university or institute. It is not a "study anything you like" scholarship. It is built around a research project and a Swiss professor who supports it.

According to the official Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI/SBFI) page, applications for the 2027–28 round opened on 20 August 2026, and the scholarship starts on 1 September 2027.

Important changes for this round

Please read this part carefully, because older blog posts and forum threads may be out of date. The official SBFI pages say:

• Postdoctoral scholarships are no longer awarded from the 2027/28 academic year. Research and doctoral scholarships remain.
• The monthly amount was raised to CHF 2,450 from 1 January 2026.
• The number of funded places is being reduced, so competition is likely to be tougher.
• You need a master's degree (or equivalent) completed by 31 July 2027 (30 June 2027 for ETH Zurich).

Rules on length of funding and extensions are detailed in the official FAQ, so please check the official page for the exact terms that apply to your type of scholarship.

Where do you apply, and when is the deadline?

This is the part that trips people up. The deadline is not the same for every country. Each country has its own opening date and submission deadline, published by SBFI in a country list (PDFs organised by region, including Africa). For example, one African country in the official list has a deadline of 27 November 2026, but yours may differ.

Your task today: open the official page, find the A–Z country list, look up your country, and write down the exact opening date, deadline, and which scholarship types are offered to you. Do not rely on anyone else's date, including ours.

Official page: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (SBFI)

Who can apply?

In general you will need:

• A master's degree or equivalent by the date above.
• A research project that fits a Swiss host institution.
• A letter of support from an academic supervisor in Switzerland, with a short CV.
• To meet the age and other conditions set for your country in the official call.

One important warning from the official FAQ: if a doctoral school does not allow you to contact a supervisor before admission, a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship application is not possible there. So choose your target schools with this in mind.

Your preparation plan

Step 1: Check your country's deadline (today). Everything else depends on it.

Step 2: Find your supervisor (weeks 1–3). Read recent papers from Swiss universities and institutes in your field. Write a short, specific email: who you are, what question you want to study, and why this professor's group is the right place. Attach your CV. Professors receive many messages, so be polite, brief and honest, and be ready to follow up once.

Step 3: Build your research proposal (weeks 2–5). Keep it clear and realistic: the problem, the question, your method, a rough timeline and why it matters. Your supervisor's feedback will make it stronger, but the ideas and the writing must be your own. Committees can tell.

Step 4: Gather your documents (weeks 2–5). Degree certificates, transcripts, CV, recommendation letters and the supervisor's letter. Ask referees early and give them your CV and project summary. Official or certified copies can take time to obtain in Cameroon, so start now.

Step 5: Submit before the deadline (final week). Upload everything through the official channel for your country and keep proof of submission. Do not leave this to the last day: portals slow down.

A short checklist

• Country deadline confirmed on the official list
• Eligibility (degree date, age rule) confirmed
• Supervisor identified and support letter agreed
• Research proposal drafted and reviewed
• Recommendation letters requested
• Certificates and transcripts ready
• Application submitted, confirmation saved

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Writing to a professor too late. Support letters take time.
2. Copying a proposal template or using someone else's text. Be honest and original; it protects you.
3. Trusting unofficial sites. The scholarship is free to apply for through official channels. Anyone asking you to pay a "processing fee" to secure it is not to be trusted.
4. Ignoring the fine print. Rules change between years, as the end of the postdoc category shows.

How Merit Leaders can help

We are advisers and coaches, not ghostwriters. We can help you check that you are eligible, plan your timeline, review your proposal and CV, and prepare you to contact supervisors professionally. The work and the words stay yours, and that is exactly what committees want to see.

Ready to take the next step?

Check whether you qualify with our eligibility checker, or book a consultation to talk to an adviser.