International researchers who want to advance their work in automation can apply for the NCCR Automation Fellowship 2025 for a short-term research stay in Switzerland. Apply below:
When is the Application Deadline:
The application deadline is 30.06.2025 at 17.00 (CET).
Tell Me About The NCCR Automation Fellowship:
The NCCR Automation Fellowship supports international Master’s students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers to conduct research in Switzerland. The fellowship aims to foster international research collaboration and interdisciplinarity by providing participants with supervision, mentoring, and access to a stimulating academic and social environment. The program is designed to help researchers broaden their scientific horizons, expand their networks, and gain valuable experience in cutting-edge automation research.
Which Fields are Eligible?
The following fields are eligible:
- Application: Advanced Manufacturing
- Application: Energy
- Application: Mobility
- Application: Robotics
- Application: Social networks and recommender systems
- Co-design and control architectures
- Computational methods for control
- Control and optimization theory
- Cyber-physical systems
- Data-driven control
- Distributed control and optimization
- Ethics and fairness in control
- Game theory
- Humans in the loop
- Machine learning and identification
- Neural networks
- Optimal transport and control of distributions
- Robust control
- Reinforcement learning
- Stochastic optimization
- + Other (open text field)
Type:
Research Fellowship
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Who can Apply For The NCCR Automation Fellowship?
The fellowship is available to Master’s students, PhD candidates, or postdoctoral researchers who fulfil the following criteria:
Get Up to $100,000 Student Loan for Your Master in US or Canada.
- You are currently engaged with an education or research programme that complements the research group that you are applying to work with.
- You remain enrolled or employed at your home institution until the end of the fellowship.
- For PhD students and postdoctoral researchers: You will continue to receive your salary from your home institution.
- You have not studied or worked at the institution that will host you in Switzerland in the past.
- You meet the requirements of the host institution.
How are Applicants Selected?
The selection criteria are as follows:
- Only applications received on the application platform before 30.06.25 at 17:00 (CEST) will be considered.
- The applications will be evaluated by an internal NCCR Automation committee.
- The selection criteria are:
- potential of the applicant for research at NCCR Automation;
- alignment with the fellowship’s goals of promoting international collaboration and interdisciplinarity.
- Both successful and unsuccessful candidates will be personally notified in October 2025.
- Earliest start date: January 2026.
Required Documents:
Applicants are to prepare and submit the following documents:
- CV (max. 2 pages) with publications (if relevant);
- Motivation letter for Master’s student (max. 2 pages);
- Research proposal for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers (covering your research question and how you intend to go about answering the question or contribute to answering it, with an accompanying plan and/or timeline, max. 2 pages);
- Letter of support from home institution and supervisor;
- Copy of university degree(s) and/or transcripts;
- Candidates must choose up to three research topics and three principal investigators (PIs) within the NCCR Automation to act as hosts in case of a successful application. A list of PIs can be found on the application form or on the people page of this website or on the FAQ page.
- Candidates should specify any sort of income from the home institution or from any other sources during the period of the fellowship, if any.
Which Countries Are Eligible?
All countries
Where will the Award be Taken?
The fellowship will take place at one of the NCCR Automation-affiliated institutions in Switzerland, including
- Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH Zurich)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW)
- University of Basel
- University of Zurich (UZH)
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
- Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST)
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW)
How Many Awards?
Not specified
What is the Benefit of the NCCR Automation Fellowship?
The fellowship benefits include:
- A financial contribution to cover the increased cost of living in Switzerland.
- The host Principal Investigator (PI) will cover project-related expenses, including travel costs to NCCR Automation meetings.
- A stimulating research environment with mentorship and supervision.
- Opportunities to expand scientific and professional networks.
How Long Will the Award Last?
6 months
How to Apply:
A good application takes time and requires your commitment. Apply via the online platform and provide the requested input and documents below in PDF format. The submission deadline is 30.06.2025 at 17:00 (CEST).
