About this opportunity
Most research funding asks you to prove that your project will work. The Branco Weiss Fellowship asks the opposite question: what happens if you follow the idea that your department considers too risky to fund. It is aimed at postdocs with a PhD no more than five years old who want to build something outside the mainstream of their field, and it pays for up to five years of that work.
The money is unusually flexible. A fellowship amounts to a maximum of CHF 600,000 and may cover all legitimate costs of research, which means salary, equipment, travel, consumables and your own personnel. The project is conceived to run five years, split into a pioneer phase of two and a half years with a site visit and review before the end of the second year, then an exploitation phase for the remainder. Fellows are encouraged to seek faculty positions during that second half, and taking up an academic post does not end the fellowship.
There is no nationality or country of residence condition on the call. What the fellowship does require is a PhD formally in hand by 15 January 2027, meaning at least a successfully passed defence before that date, no faculty-equivalent position held so far, a mentor who is supporting only you in this round, and the ability to travel to the Greater Zurich Area for the annual symposium in person.
Applications for the 2027 intake are open now and close on 15 January 2027 at 5 p.m. CET. The provider advises submitting one or two days early to avoid server load, and shortlisted candidates are interviewed in Zurich in June 2027, with fellows starting their projects between 1 October and 31 December 2027.
What you receive
- Up to CHF 600,000 for a research project conceived to last five years
- The award may cover salary, equipment, travel, consumables and personnel
- A pioneer phase of two and a half years with a site visit and review, then an exploitation phase for the rest
- Fellows may start a faculty position or professorship after the first year without the fellowship being terminated
- No nationality or country of residence restriction is published for the call
- Reapplying is allowed if a previous submission was not selected
Who can apply
- You officially hold a PhD on 15 January 2027, which means at least having successfully passed your PhD defence before that date
- Your PhD was obtained no more than five years before 15 January 2027
- You do not hold and have not held a faculty-equivalent position such as assistant professor or lecturer
- Your project departs from the mainstream of research in your discipline
- You have a record of outstanding scientific achievement
- Your proposal shows a willingness to engage in dialogue on relevant social, cultural, political or economic issues beyond your own discipline
- You are willing and able to travel to the Greater Zurich Area and attend the annual symposium in person
- You can confirm that you are the only candidate your chosen mentor is supporting during this round
- Delays beyond five years after the PhD are only accepted for parental leave or an inability to work due to illness or accident, counted as the number of weeks of full-time leave and capped at one year in total
Who should not apply
- Mainstream research projects that could also be funded by other scientific organizations are typically not funded
- Doctoral theses and books are not accepted among the three publications you upload
- Applicants already holding or having held a faculty-equivalent position
- A mentor supporting more than one candidate in the same round
Documents to prepare
- A letter of motivation of at most one page, including a statement on why your research differs from the mainstream
- Your proposed research project of at most five pages, including timelines, tentative milestones and references
- A CV of at most four pages
- An invitation letter from your prospective host explaining why you are invited to the host group and why the project is supported
- Copies of your three best publications, limited to peer-reviewed journal articles or individual book chapters
- Five reviewer suggestions, entered directly in the online application
- A scan of your PhD certificate or a confirmation of successful examination, with the official certificate provided on request in April
- All files as PDF, at most 5 MB each and 15 MB in total
How to apply
- Read the Frequently Asked Questions and the Guidelines on the fellowship website before you start
- If you are claiming parental leave or illness as an extension, email an official confirmation of your leave to the fellowship before you submit, ideally one to two months ahead of the deadline
- Line up a host group and ask your prospective host for the invitation letter
- Prepare the motivation letter, the five page research project, your CV and your three publications as PDFs
- Open the ETH Zurich eResearch grant application system, which is where the online form sits
- Enter your five reviewer suggestions in the form and upload the PDF set
- Submit at least one or two days before 15 January 2027 at 5 p.m. CET, since the provider warns about server load near the cut-off
Selection process
- Applications are assessed against originality, scientific quality and the willingness to work across the boundary between science and society
- In May 2027 candidates receive notification, with invitations to a personal interview sent to those shortlisted and rejection notices sent to the rest
- In June 2027 candidates are interviewed by a panel in Zurich, Switzerland and the final selection of fellows is made
- A site visit and review take place before the end of the second year of the fellowship, after which a satisfactory result moves the project into its exploitation phase
- Fellows commence their research projects between 1 October and 31 December 2027
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
Who is the fellowship for?
Junior researchers who hold a PhD no more than five years old, have a record of outstanding scientific achievement, and want to run a project that departs from the mainstream of their discipline.
How much does it pay?
A maximum of CHF 600,000 for a project conceived to last up to five years, usable for all legitimate research costs including salary, equipment, travel, consumables and personnel.
Is there a nationality requirement?
The fellowship publishes no nationality or country of residence condition. The only travel requirement is that you can attend the annual symposium in the Greater Zurich Area in person.
Can I still be a faculty member?
Not at application stage, since a faculty-equivalent position such as assistant professor or lecturer rules you out. Once funded, you may start a faculty position or professorship after the first year, and taking up an academic post does not end the fellowship.
Do I need reference letters or a budget?
No. The provider states that a reference letter does not have to be submitted with the application and that budgets do not have to be submitted.
I applied before and was not selected. Can I try again?
Yes. The fellowship welcomes a previous applicant to apply again.
What counts as an acceptable delay after the PhD?
Only parental leave or an inability to work due to illness or accident. Full-time leave only, counted in weeks, capped at one year in total, and confirmed by email to the fellowship before you submit.
When does the round close?
15 January 2027 at 5 p.m. CET, through the online form. The provider advises submitting one or two days early to avoid server overload.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
