Deadline:
January 15, 2025
Location(s)
Switzerland
Various universities
Overview
Details
ThinkSwiss is a scholarship program managed by the Science Office at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C. The program is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Ottawa, Canada. The aim of the program is to promote research opportunities in Switzerland for American and Canadian students and to foster exchange between Swiss, U.S., and Canadian universities and research institutions.
Application for ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship 2025
In order to apply, please fill out the contact form below and send all supporting documents in one PDF format by January 15th, 2025 to washington.science@eda.admin.ch. In order to be considered for this scholarship, each application must contain:
- The completed application online form
- A research project outline (e.g. an overview of the tasks and milestones of your project that you agreed on with your host professor, max. 2 pages single-spaced, and keep in mind, your audience are educated readers but not necessarily experts in your field)
- A letter of motivation/explanation of why you should be awarded the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship, why you would make an excellent “student ambassador” in the future, and why you choose Switzerland as your research destination (please keep this within 2 pages)
- A CV (no more than two pages)
- A copy of your current university transcripts and diplomas (if applicable)
- A letter of acceptance from the host professor and/or hosting institution in Switzerland (we expect this letter to highlight the relevance of your research)
- A letter of recommendation from a current professor who can attest to the applicant’s abilities (the professor can send us the document in a separate email, but please make sure that the subject contains “ThinkSwiss application” and your name)
For further questions please contact washington.science@eda.admin.ch. Note: January 15th, 2025 is the final deadline. We cannot review applications submitted after the deadline.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
To apply for a ThinkSwiss Scholarship you must:
- currently be enrolled at an accredited U.S. or Canadian university/college,
- be a graduate student or an undergraduate student who will have completed their sophomore year by the time the research stay in Switzerland begins, and
- In case you will have completed your undergraduate studies at the time of the research stay, provide a letter of acceptance from your next home institution
- Provide a written confirmation from a professor at a Swiss university that they will accept you for a research stay in their group.
For ETH Zurich, students must stay a minimum of 91 days and the research project must be recognized as part of your home university studies in order to have the status “Project Mobility Student”.
Dates
Deadline: January 15, 2025
Cost/funding for participants
Payment of the scholarship
The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship provides a prorated amount according to the length of your stay: a monthly scholarship of CHF 1,800 (approx. USD 1,800) for a period of two to three months (CHF 5,400 maximum). Please note that this amount covers only a portion of the average student’s living expenses and that you will be asked to prove sufficient financial means to the Swiss Cantonal authorities before a visa can be issued. All ThinkSwiss scholarship winners will be notified by February 15, 2025 and must accept this scholarship by February 25, 2025. The whole amount of the scholarship money will be transferred to the bank account of the recipient shortly before the departure date.
Timeframe of your stay
The applicant is free to schedule research anytime between May 1, 2025 and December 1, 2025, with a start date of your research internship no later than December 1, 2025. Most students choose to go abroad during the summer months as this period falls between regular university semesters. Please be aware that in Switzerland the semester break is approximately from June to mid-September and that during this time universities are less busy.
Additional funding
Please note that research internships at Swiss host institutions are usually unpaid. Since ThinkSwiss does not cover all expenses (see above), we allow funding in addition to ThinkSwiss, as long as the process of acquiring additional funds does not delay the timeframe of your stay.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
