The EPFL AI Center in Lausanne, Switzerland, with support from the Swiss AI Initiative, has opened the third call of its Postdoctoral Fellowships in artificial intelligence. Fellows work with at least two EPFL labs and have wide freedom to set their own interdisciplinary AI research agenda. The fellowship is open to all nationalities, so African AI researchers can apply.
The deadline is 9 November 2026 at 17:00 CET. You need the support of two EPFL host professors before you apply, so contact them now.
At a Glance
| Host | EPFL AI Center, Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Supported by | Swiss AI Initiative |
| Who can apply | PhD holders (within 2 years of the PhD) and final-year PhD students, of any nationality |
| Funding | About 50% of the salary from the fellowship (host labs pay the rest, on EPFL salary scales), plus up to CHF 5,000 a year for research costs |
| Duration | Up to 2 years (reported) |
| Deadline | 9 November 2026, 17:00 CET |
About the Fellowship
The EPFL AI Center is the hub for AI research at EPFL, one of Europe’s top technical universities. The fellowship aims to:
- advance cutting-edge AI research
- promote ethical AI, with attention to bias, privacy and fairness
- prepare the next generation of AI leaders
- encourage interdisciplinary collaboration across the AI Center’s community
Fellows design their own research agenda with at least two labs led by AI Center faculty, and take part in the Center’s community activities and strategic initiatives.
Benefits
- A full postdoctoral salary on EPFL scales. The fellowship pays about half and your host labs pay the rest, and Swiss postdoc salaries are among the highest in the world.
- Up to CHF 5,000 a year for research costs, open data, open-access publishing, travel and conferences
- Office and lab space, equipment and administrative support from your host labs
- Freedom to set your own interdisciplinary research agenda
- Access to the EPFL AI Center and Swiss AI Initiative network
Eligibility
- A PhD in computer science, physics, engineering, applied mathematics or another AI-related field, obtained no more than two years before 9 November 2026.
- Final-year PhD students can apply if they’ll have their PhD by the time the fellowship starts.
- The support of two EPFL host professors who are AI Center faculty members. Agree a collaboration with them before you apply.
- Any nationality, with no age limit.
- External candidates get priority, though senior PhD students and junior postdocs already at EPFL can apply.
- Excellent academic records are expected, as selection is highly competitive.
- Only one application per person.
Selection Criteria
- Scientific excellence: fit with the call, originality, quality of approach, and your competence in the field
- Impact: relevance to AI and potential for collaboration across EPFL
- Feasibility: resources, management and organisation
How to Apply
- Browse the list of EPFL AI Center faculty and contact two potential host professors whose work fits yours.
- Agree a joint research plan and get their support.
- Read the application toolkit and guidelines on EPFL’s funding page.
- Prepare all documents in English and submit them on EPFL’s online submission platform.
- Submit before 17:00 CET on 9 November 2026. That’s 5pm in Lagos and Kinshasa, 6pm in Johannesburg and Cairo, and 7pm in Nairobi.
Official EPFL AI Center Postdoctoral Fellowship page · Online submission platform
Tips for African Applicants
- Email potential hosts this week. Without two host professors, you can’t apply. Send a short note with your CV, two or three key papers and a one-paragraph idea that links their labs.
- Propose genuinely interdisciplinary work, for example AI for climate, health, agriculture or low-resource African languages.
- Address ethics. Show how your work deals with bias, privacy and fairness.
- Plan your Swiss residence permit early if you’re selected, as EPFL HR helps with the process.
