ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowship: Salary, Deadlines and How to Apply
The ETH AI Center doctoral fellowship pays CHF 73,100 in year 1 rising to CHF 83,500 — and you apply directly to the Center, no supervisor lined up. One call a year: the 2027 round closed on
The ETH AI Center doctoral fellowship is one of Europe's best-funded AI PhD routes: a salaried position at ETH Zurich that starts at CHF 73,100 in year 1 and rises to CHF 83,500 by year 3, with the whole ETH ecosystem — professors, compute, and the Center's own community — behind it. Unlike most ETH doctorates, you do not need a professor to host you before you apply: the Center runs a direct-doctorate application, and admitted fellows choose or are matched with supervisors after entry.
What the fellowship actually pays
Fellows are employed at ETH Zurich on the standard doctoral salary scale. The AI Center's published figures for the current cycle are:
- Year 1: CHF 73,100 gross (roughly CHF 5,300–5,600/month after Swiss deductions)
- Year 2: CHF 78,300 gross
- Year 3: CHF 83,500 gross
That places ETH in the same bracket as the other top Swiss institutes — well above German TV-L E13 contracts and Dutch PhD salaries. Zurich is expensive, but a single fellow on this salary covers rent, insurance and living costs without side income. Our Swiss PhD salary guide compares take-home pay across the Swiss universities.
Deadlines: one call a year
The Center runs a single annual application window. For the 2027 fellowships:
- Application portal: open 15 September 2026
- Application deadline: 27 October 2026, 16:00 CET
- Reference deadline: 2 November 2026, 23:59 CET
If you missed it, the pattern is stable: expect the next call to open around September 2027 for the 2028 fellowships. Applications go through the Center's own online portal — applications sent by email or post are not considered.
Who should apply
The Center expects you to have completed (or be completing) a Master's degree in computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, applied mathematics or a related field. Strong applicants typically show first-class grades, research output (papers, theses, competitive internships) and a clear AI research direction. English proficiency is required, and the usual ETH doctoral admission standards apply.
How the direct-doctorate application works
- Apply to the Center, not to a chair — one application covers all affiliated faculty; you list research interests and preferred groups.
- References matter — two or more academic referees who can speak to your research ability; they get a short window after the deadline.
- Interviews and matching — shortlisted candidates interview with affiliated professors; admitted fellows confirm a supervisor during onboarding.
- Fellowship terms — employment contract at ETH Zurich salary scales (the figures above), typically 3–4 years.
What to do while the next call is closed
Three parallel moves maximise your chances for the 2028 round. First, apply to professorship-based ETH AI positions in parallel — they advertise year-round, pay the same scale, and a strong profile built now transfers directly. Second, publish or strengthen the weakest part of your CV — one solid first-author paper outweighs a dozen certificates. Third, line up referees early: reference letters arriving close to the deadline are the most common failure point in the Center's own FAQ.
The realistic odds
The fellowship is genuinely competitive — hundreds of applications for a cohort measured in dozens. Treat it as one route among several: the same profile that competes here is competitive for Max Planck networks in Germany (see our Eiffel-style funding elsewhere in Europe), UK AI CDTs and open scholarships on this site. Apply to at least 5–8 programmes in the same season.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply to the ETH AI Center without already having a supervisor?
Yes — that is the point of the direct-doctorate route. You apply to the Center once, list your research interests, and supervisor matching happens during selection and onboarding. You do not need a professor to agree to host you before applying.
How much does an ETH AI Center doctoral fellow earn?
CHF 73,100 gross in year 1, CHF 78,300 in year 2 and CHF 83,500 in year 3 (the ETH doctoral scale). After Swiss deductions, expect roughly CHF 5,300–5,600 per month in year 1 — enough to live on in Zurich without side income.
When does the next ETH AI Center fellowship call open?
The programme runs one call a year. The 2027 fellowships were decided from applications submitted 15 September–27 October 2026 (references by 2 November 2026). The next call is expected to open around September 2027 for the 2028 fellowships — watch ai.ethz.ch for the confirmed dates.
Do I need a master's degree for the ETH AI Center fellowship?
The Center expects a completed or nearly completed Master's degree in computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, applied mathematics or a related field. Exceptional bachelor's-only profiles are rare exceptions, not the rule — if you don't hold a master's yet, see our guide to PhD entry without a master's degree for country-by-country rules.
Is the ETH AI Center fellowship fully funded?
Yes — it is a salaried ETH Zurich employment contract (CHF 73,100–83,500 across the years), not a bare stipend. It includes the standard Swiss employment benefits; tuition fees at ETH are low (a few hundred francs per semester) and are normally covered by the salary.
Official sources and further reading
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