ETH Pioneer Fellowship 2026: Closed, Funding & Eligibility

ETH Pioneer Fellowship 2026: Current Status

Deep-Tech and Global Development Incubation Programs

Applicants may apply to only one Pioneer Fellowship programme in a call: Deep-Tech or Global Development.

Global Development projects must serve people living on less than USD 10 per day in low- and middle-income countries, with country eligibility linked to the OECD DAC list specified by ETH.

Eligibility

ETH’s current main eligibility criteria include:

• one entrepreneurial applicant who wants to commercialise results of research at ETH Zurich;
• the applicant must be an ETH Master’s or doctoral student, or an ETH researcher;
• a company must not yet have been incorporated for the project;
• the project must be fully supported by an ETH Zurich host professor;
• the project must present a promising business case; and
• for Global Development, the business case must serve the target low-income population in an eligible low- or middle-income country.

Funding and Fellowship Benefits

The fellowship lump sum covers the applicant’s salary and eligible project expenses. ETH states that after salary expenses are deducted, the remaining funds may be used for project-dedicated costs, including eligible running and travel/field expenses.

Intellectual Property and Spin-off Terms

Because Pioneer Fellows are ETH employees, intellectual property created by them during the fellowship is owned by ETH Zurich. Commercialisation through a spin-off therefore requires an appropriate licence agreement with ETH transfer.

Application Documents

ETH requires the application package to use the prescribed templates where available. The current application page lists the following PDF documents:

• Project Summary
• IP Situation
• Applicant CV
• Publication List
• Host Professor Support Letter
• Supplementary Information

The application documents must be submitted as PDFs, with a total maximum file size of 15 MB, using ETH’s specified naming convention.

Video Presentation

Applicants must also provide a video presentation in MP4 format. ETH states that the video should be no longer than two minutes; the applicant uploads it to a platform of choice and pastes the video link into the eResearch application.

How to Apply

1. Read the current ETH Pioneer Fellowship programme page and the applicable official guidelines.
2. Choose one programme: Deep-Tech or Global Development.
3. Confirm that the applicant, research, company-incorporation status and ETH host-professor support meet the eligibility criteria.
4. Prepare the project summary, IP statement, CV, publication list, host-professor support letter and supplementary material using the required formats.
5. Prepare the maximum two-minute video presentation and create a shareable link.
6. Submit the application through the ETH eResearch grant application system during an active application window.
7. Retain the submitted application package and monitor ETH communications for interview-selection information.

2026 Application and Selection Timeline

Evaluation and Interview Criteria

ETH’s current programme page states that applications are evaluated on factors including:

• fit with the Pioneer Fellowship’s mission and objectives;
• importance of the fellowship for realising the project;
• degree of technological innovation compared with the state of the art;
• technology-readiness and market-readiness levels;
• intellectual-property situation and freedom to operate;
• size and credibility of the obtainable market;
• clarity and realism of project objectives;
• social and/or environmental impact;
• quality of the application and entrepreneurial mindset; and
• quality of the interview presentation and Q&A.

The most promising projects are invited to an in-person interview with the evaluation board at ETH Zurich. Project collaborators are encouraged to participate in the interview process.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

The following is CareerAidHub guidance, not additional ETH eligibility criteria.

• Confirm ETH eligibility first: external researchers without the required ETH connection should not spend time preparing an application until they verify eligibility.
• Resolve host-professor support early: the host professor is an eligibility requirement, not an optional recommendation.
• Do not incorporate prematurely: the project company must not already have been incorporated when applying.
• Build the IP strategy before the pitch: explain ownership, freedom to operate, licensing needs and how the planned spin-off can commercialise ETH-owned IP.
• Match the correct funding track: Deep-Tech funding varies by field and duration, while Global Development has its own impact and country conditions.
• Use measurable commercial milestones: connect technical progress to product validation, market evidence, customer discovery and spin-off readiness.
• Treat the interview as part of the evaluation: ETH explicitly evaluates both the presentation and Q&A.