Questions
Answers FCS already published
These track the official FAQ and the 2027–28 at-a-glance page. If SBFI updates a paragraph, the Confederation page wins. These answers are a planning aid, not an official SBFI decision.
You can. FCS says neither the ESKAS secretariat nor the universities will do it. Use university websites and contacts at your home institution. Allow weeks or months.
The cycle opened on 20 August 2026. Country close dates differ. This page will not claim your country is open. Poland is a published example (15 September–30 November 2026 on NAWA). Check your origin on SBFI.
No. From 2027/28, postdoctoral scholarships are no longer awarded. The monthly amount rose to CHF 2,450 from 1 January 2026; the Confederation reduced the number of awards and dropped the postdoc track.
A maximum of three applications for the same type. A fourth attempt after three failures is an exclusion.
For an individual doctorate: a supervisor support letter, not an admission letter, at application time. For a doctoral school: admission is required in addition to the support letter. If the school blocks supervisor contact before admission, FCS says you cannot apply on that route.
Art scholarships exist only for selected countries. If your origin is not on that list, FCS does not offer a substitute federal grant.
No. SBFI: it covers basic living expenses for one person and is not a salary. It must not be treated as regular remuneration. Tuition, conferences, and family costs are separate.
By the end of May at the latest, for the academic year that starts on 1 September 2027. The 2028–29 call will be advertised from August 2027.
No. GO ESKAS only. Access is linked from the official at-a-glance page. The application is free of charge.
SBFI lists [email protected]. For country windows and how your representation receives files, start with the official programme page and your Swiss embassy.
Read the source: Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships FAQ.