ETH AI Center Fellowships 2027: PhD & Postdoc Salary, Eligibility & Deadline

ETH AI Center Fellowships 2027 at a Glance

The ETH AI Center Fellowship Program supports interdisciplinary artificial-intelligence research spanning AI foundations, applications and societal implications.

Fellows are embedded in a cohort at the ETH AI Center and work across disciplinary boundaries with two mentors from different research areas.

Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowship Tracks

ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowship

The Doctoral Fellowship supports candidates pursuing interdisciplinary AI research under co-mentorship from two principal investigators in different fields.

ETH currently advertises 5–8 doctoral positions with flexible starting dates, usually around September.

ETH AI Center Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Postdoctoral Fellowship is designed for early-career researchers developing their own interdisciplinary AI research programme.

ETH currently advertises 5–8 postdoctoral positions. The appointment normally lasts two years, with a flexible start date that is typically around September.

Dual mentorship

Both fellowship tracks use a co-mentorship model involving two investigators from different fields.

Salary and Employment Benefits

Doctoral salary

Doctoral positions are currently remunerated according to ETH’s Rate 5 doctoral scale at the 100% employment level.

Postdoctoral salary

Current postdoctoral benefits include five weeks of annual vacation, support for continuing education and multiple ETH family-support provisions, including childcare-related services and leave arrangements.

Eligibility for the 2027 Fellowships

Doctoral applicants

Applicants should have completed or be close to completing a Master’s degree in computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, applied mathematics or another relevant field.

Candidates must also satisfy ETH Zurich’s general requirements for doctoral admission.

Master’s students can apply. Successful candidates are expected to complete their Master’s studies at least three months before the fellowship begins; the current FAQ gives June 2027 as the latest relevant completion date.

Postdoctoral applicants

Candidates must hold a PhD at the application deadline or complete their doctorate sufficiently early to satisfy the programme’s start requirements.

ETH’s current FAQ states that the doctorate should be completed at least three months before the fellowship begins, with June 2027 identified as the latest completion point.

Relevant backgrounds include AI, computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering and applied mathematics.

English

Applicants must have sufficient English proficiency to discuss research with colleagues and communicate findings in writing.

Research Areas

The programme supports research within AI foundations as well as projects linking AI foundations to application domains.

AI foundations and methods

• Mathematical and statistical foundations of machine learning, AI and data science
• AI systems design, engineering and hardware
• Agents and human-AI collaboration
• Computer vision and machine perception
• Trustworthy AI systems
• Foundation models
• Security and privacy
• Large language models and natural-language understanding
• Reinforcement learning and data-driven control
• AI safety, reliability and robustness

Application areas

• AI for quantum computing
• Healthcare and medicine
• Education
• Energy, climate modelling and environment
• Finance and economics
• Industry and manufacturing
• Sciences and engineering
• Space research and exploration
• Robotics and autonomous systems
• Augmented reality and human-centred AI

Application Documents

Both doctoral and postdoctoral applicants complete the ETH AI Center online application and upload the programme’s required supporting documents.

Current common application materials include:

• Degree certificates and academic transcripts
• Curriculum vitae
• Motivation letter, 1–2 pages
• 2–5 minute video

Postdoctoral applicants only

Postdoctoral applicants additionally submit a 1–2 page research statement describing their research trajectory, current work, future scientific plans and fit with the ETH AI Center Fellowship.

Reference Letters

At least two reference letters are mandatory. Applicants may submit an optional third reference.

After the application form is completed, the applicant receives individual links that must be forwarded to the referees. Referees then upload their references directly into the ETH AI Center system.

Doctoral references

At least two referees must be established independent researchers, such as principal investigators, principal scientists, group leaders or lecturers. A maximum of one reference may come from a postdoc.

Postdoctoral references

At least two references must come from established professionals with research responsibilities or experience. References from postdocs, PhD students or classmates are not accepted for the mandatory postdoctoral references.

Selection Process and 2027 Timeline

The ETH AI Center first checks applications for completeness. Complete applications then undergo faculty technical review.

Promising candidates are invited to the annual online selection symposium, where they present their research and take part in individual interviews with potential mentors.

How to Apply

1. Determine whether you are applying for the Doctoral or Postdoctoral Fellowship.
2. Confirm that your Master’s or PhD completion timeline satisfies the 2027 requirements.
3. Review ETH AI Center research areas and potential mentor expertise.
4. Prepare your CV, academic records and 1–2 page motivation letter.
5. Prepare the required 2–5 minute application video.
6. If applying as a postdoc, prepare the additional 1–2 page research statement.
7. Submit the online application between 15 September and 27 October 2026.
8. Forward the generated reference links to at least two eligible referees.
9. Ensure all references are uploaded by 2 November 2026.

Applications submitted by email or post are not accepted.

The verified ETH fellowship pages and current guidelines are provided in the Official Sources section below.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

Do not spend time securing faculty approval before submitting

ETH explicitly states that contacting faculty beforehand is not required. Use that time instead to understand relevant mentor expertise and explain your interdisciplinary fit clearly in the application.

Differentiate the motivation letter from the postdoc research statement

For postdoctoral applicants, these documents serve different purposes. The motivation letter should explain fit, interdisciplinary interests and community contribution, while the research statement should explain your scientific trajectory and future research direction.

Plan references before the portal closes

Although references are due after the applicant deadline, the referee links are generated through the submitted application. Confirm referee availability in advance and do not assume the extra days provide enough time to start the process from scratch.

Use the interdisciplinary requirement substantively

The two-mentor model is central to the programme. A stronger application shows why the proposed work genuinely benefits from expertise across research areas rather than simply naming two unrelated AI topics.

Researchers considering related opportunities can also review CareerAidHub’s current postdoctoral fellowships, PhD opportunities, and ETH Zurich research and academic opportunities.