The Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science, run by ETH Zurich, is open for its 2027 intake. It is one of the most generous early-career awards in the world: up to CHF 600,000 over five years for a postdoctoral researcher to pursue an unusual, boundary-pushing research project with full scientific independence. The fellowship is a worldwide programme open to all disciplines, from engineering and natural sciences to social sciences and humanities, so African researchers can apply.
Deadline: 15 January 2027 at 5:00 pm CET (5:00 pm WAT, 6:00 pm CAT/SAST, 7:00 pm EAT). The organisers ask applicants to submit at least one to two days early to avoid server overload.
Key Details
- Administered by: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
- Funding: up to CHF 600,000 for up to five years
- Structure: a 2.5-year pioneer phase, a review with a site visit, then a 2.5-year exploitation phase
- Disciplines: all fields at postdoctoral level
- Deadline: 15 January 2027, 5:00 pm CET
- Results: notifications and interview invitations in May 2027; interviews 7–9 June 2027 via Zoom
- Start: between 1 October and 31 December 2027
Benefits
- A project grant of up to CHF 600,000 that can pay your salary, equipment, travel, consumables and staff
- Complete freedom to pursue your own research idea at your chosen host institution, managed through an agreement between you, your host and ETH Zurich
- Fellows may take up a faculty post after the first year without losing the fellowship
- An annual symposium in the Zurich area and a global network of past and current fellows
Eligibility
- You must have passed your PhD defence before 15 January 2027, and no more than five years before that date (extensions only for documented full-time parental leave or illness/accident, max. one year)
- You must not hold, or have held, an independent faculty-level position such as assistant professor, lecturer, principal investigator or tenure-track post
- Your project must depart from the mainstream of your field; the programme says it typically does not fund research that other funders would support
- You need an outstanding research record and must show willingness to engage with social, cultural, political or economic issues beyond your discipline
- You must be willing and able to travel to the Zurich area each year for the symposium
- Your host mentor may support only one candidate in this round. Previous unsuccessful applicants may reapply
How to Apply
- Read the guidelines, FAQs and eligibility, duration and funding rules on the official Branco Weiss Fellowship website.
- Agree with a host professor who will write an invitation letter explaining why you and your project are supported.
- Prepare PDFs: a one-page motivation letter explaining why your research is not mainstream, a research proposal of up to five pages (with timeline, milestones and references), a CV of up to four pages, the host invitation letter, your three best peer-reviewed publications and your PhD certificate or proof of passing the exam.
- Have five reviewer suggestions ready; they must have no scientific relationship with you.
- Register and submit via ETH Zurich’s eResearch application system, following the steps on the application page. Files are limited to 5 MB each and 15 MB in total.
No reference letters or budget are needed at the application stage.
Tips for African Researchers
- The key test is originality. Explain clearly in your motivation letter what makes your idea risky or unconventional and why standard funders would not support it.
- Show the link between science and society. Projects that connect research to African realities, such as climate adaptation, health systems, AI and language or urban growth, can make this dialogue concrete.
- Secure your host invitation early in December, because many professors travel over the holidays.
- Choose your three strongest peer-reviewed articles; theses and books are not accepted.
- Compress your PDFs and test your eResearch login several days before the deadline, especially if your internet connection is unreliable.
