ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowships 2027, ETH Zurich (Interdisciplinary AI PhD)

Job Description

The ETH AI Center has opened its AI PhD fellowships at ETH Zurich for 2027. It offers 8 to 12 doctoral fellowships. Each fellow proposes an own interdisciplinary AI project. Two mentors from different fields share the supervision equally.

At a glance

• Position: ETH AI Center Doctoral Fellowship (8 to 12 places)
• Where: ETH AI Center, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• Pay: CHF 73,100 (year 1), CHF 78,300 (year 2) and CHF 83,500 (year 3)
• Start: Flexible, usually in September
• Apply: 27 October 2026, 16:00 CET

What the ETH AI PhD fellowship involves

• Your own proposed research project on an interdisciplinary AI topic
• Co-mentorship by two ETH professors from different fields, with equal weight in supervision
• AI foundation areas include ML theory, AI systems and hardware, agentic AI, vision, LLMs, reinforcement learning, safety and edge computing
• Application areas include AI for quantum computing, medicine, climate, energy, finance, manufacturing, space and robotics
• Office at the ETH AI Center, with retreats, symposia and summits
• An optional entrepreneurship or industry track

Why this role matters

Most PhDs start inside one professor’s project. This fellowship lets you shape your own question and pick two mentors from different fields. The pay rises each year on a published scale. ETH is also a strong base for AI hardware and systems work, which links well to semiconductors and computing.

Selection timeline

• 27 October 2026, 16:00 CET: deadline for applications and reference letters
• Weeks 8–17 after the call opens: pre-screening, then assessment by ETH AI Center faculty
• Shortlisted candidates are invited to a virtual symposium and interviews

What ETH AI Center is looking for

• A Master’s in computer science, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, applied mathematics or a related field
• The Master’s must be finished at least 3 months before the fellowship starts, by June 2027 at the latest
• An excellent track record, and ETH Zurich’s general doctoral admission requirements
• English good enough to discuss your work and write it up

Pay and location

Fellows are paid at ETH’s rate 5 doctoral level at 100%: CHF 73,100 in the first year, CHF 78,300 in the second and CHF 83,500 in the third. The page lists these yearly figures and automatic advancement.

How to apply

Apply through the official ETH AI Center page. The closing date is 27 October 2026, 16:00 CET. Apply only through the ETH AI Center doctoral fellowship portal; email and post are not accepted. Upload a CV with publications and awards, a 1–2 page motivation letter, degree transcripts and a 2–5 minute video about your research interests. Two or three referees submit letters through the portal before the deadline.

See all our PhD positions, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.