EPFL CYD Fellowships 2026–2027 in Switzerland | Fully Funded Cyber-Defence Research Fellowships

Applications are now open for the EPFL CYD Fellowships 2026–2027, a prestigious talent program jointly launched by the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and the Cyber-Defence Campus to support outstanding researchers working in cyber-defence and cybersecurity. The program offers fully funded opportunities at the Master’s, Doctoral, and Postdoctoral levels in Switzerland.

The fellowship aims to advance cutting-edge research in cybersecurity, cyber-physical systems, artificial intelligence, data science, privacy, and digital trust technologies. Fellows are hosted by Swiss higher education institutions while conducting research at the CYD Campus facilities associated with EPFL and ETH Zurich.

Master’s Thesis Fellowship

Designed for Master’s students conducting research in cyber-defence and cybersecurity-related fields.

Benefits:

• CHF 2,500 monthly living allowance
• Research funding up to CHF 1,500
• Fellowship duration of up to 6 months
• Rolling applications throughout the year

Doctoral Fellowship

Supports PhD candidates pursuing innovative cyber-defence research projects.

Benefits:

• Salary funding for up to 4 years
• Possible one-year extension
• Research funding up to CHF 3,000 per year
• Conference funding up to CHF 5,000 per year

Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship

For outstanding postdoctoral researchers conducting advanced cyber-defence research.

Benefits:

• Salary support for up to 2 years
• Research funding up to CHF 3,000 annually
• Conference funding up to CHF 5,000 annually

Research Areas

The program welcomes projects related to:

• Cybersecurity and Cyber-Defence
• Artificial Intelligence for Security
• Data Science
• Privacy and Digital Trust
• Cyber-Physical Systems
• Information Sharing and Data Fusion
• Critical Infrastructure Security
• Machine Learning for Cybersecurity
• Emerging Security Technologies

Eligibility Criteria

Master’s Fellowship

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled in a Master’s program at a Swiss higher education institution
• Obtain support from a Swiss academic supervisor
• Demonstrate excellent academic performance
• Be of any nationality

Doctoral Fellowship

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a doctoral program at a Swiss higher education institution
• Have support from a Swiss professor
• Demonstrate outstanding academic achievements
• Be of any nationality

Postdoctoral Fellowship

Applicants must:

• Hold a PhD degree
• Conduct research with a Swiss host institution
• Demonstrate an excellent research track record
• Be of any nationality

Application Deadline

• Master’s Thesis Fellowship: Rolling applications
• Doctoral Fellowship (14th Call): 19 August 2026
• Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship (14th Call): 19 August 2026

Opportunity Summary

• Host Country: Switzerland
• Host Institution: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
• Program: CYD Fellowships 2026–2027
• Funding: Fully Funded
• Levels: Master’s, PhD, Postdoctoral
• Eligible Countries: All Countries
• Fields: Cybersecurity, AI, Data Science, Cyber-Defence
• Deadline: 19 August 2026 (Doctoral & Postdoctoral)

The EPFL CYD Fellowships are among Europe’s leading research funding opportunities for cybersecurity and cyber-defence, offering talented researchers the chance to work on high-impact projects while collaborating with top Swiss institutions and experts.