Job Description

Opportunity Description

Already studying or doing research at ETH Zurich and dreaming of turning your work into your own company? The ETH Pioneer Fellowship is ETH Zurich’s flagship entrepreneurship program, backed by ETH Zurich Foundation funding, at a university ranked among the world’s top technical institutions.

Each year, it funds ETH Master’s students, doctoral students, and ETH researchers turning their research into a market-ready spin-off via a deep tech track or a global development track. In total, ETH awards up to 6–7 fellowships per call for the 2026 cycle, closing September 1, 2026.

Important Details

• Provided by: ETH Zurich Foundation (funding partner)
• Host institution: ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich), which Entrepreneurship administers
• Location: Zurich, Switzerland
• Admission Deadlines:
  • Application portal opens: July 1, 2026
  • Application deadline: September 1, 2026, 5:00 PM Swiss time
• Degree Level: Open only to current ETH Master’s students, Doctoral students, and ETH scientific staff/researchers
• Scholarship Number: 5–6 Deep-Tech Fellowships + 1 Global Development Fellowship per call (6–7 total awards)
• Gender: All genders
• Type: Fellowship
• Eligible Nations: International open to applicants of any nationality, provided they currently study or work at ETH Zurich
• Eligible Degree Programs / Tracks:
  • Deep-Tech Incubation Program: for projects in ICT, Space Tech, Engineering, or other technical fields, and separately for Life Sciences, Pharma, and Medtech projects
  • Global Development Incubation Program (formerly Social Impact): open to all fields, but the venture must serve people living on less than USD 10/day in low- and middle-income countries on the OECD DAC List 2025
  • Note: Applicants may apply to only one of the two tracks per call, not both

Fellowship Benefits

• Deep-Tech track funding: CHF 120,000 lump sum for 12 months (ICT / Space Tech / Engineering / other fields), or CHF 180,000 for 18 months (Life Sciences / Pharma / Medtech)
• Global Development track funding: CHF 150,000 lump sum for 18 months (all fields)
• ETH pays the funding as a salary. ETH formally employs Fellows as scientific staff (Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeitende) for the duration of the fellowship
• Free tuition for the CAS ETH Entrepreneurial Leadership in Technology Ventures (CAS ELTV) continuing-education course
• Global Development Fellows additionally receive free tuition for the CAS ETH NADEL Global Cooperation and Sustainable Development course
• One-on-one coaching and structured entrepreneurial training throughout the 12–18 month program
• Ongoing support from your ETH host professor, plus continued access to their research group and lab facilities
• Access to ETH’s wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, including investor and industry connections
• A guaranteed speaking slot at the annual 3Pi Competition, a rapid-fire pitch event held as part of the Deep Tech Investor Summit at ETH Zurich

Awards Summary

Deep-Tech Incubation Program (5–6 awards per call)

• ICT, Space Tech, Engineering, or other technical fields: CHF 120,000, tenable for 12 months
• Life Sciences, Pharma, or Medtech: CHF 180,000, tenable for 18 months
• Funds are used to cover the Fellow’s salary plus project costs (materials, travel, field expenses, industry fairs); the residual balance after salary deductions is at the Fellow’s disposal for the project

Global Development Incubation Program (1 award per call)

• All fields and projects must serve populations earning less than USD 10/day in OECD DAC-listed low- and middle-income countries: CHF 150,000, tenable for 18 months

Eligibility Criteria

Candidate-side eligibility:

• Currently an ETH Zurich Master’s student, Doctoral student, or ETH researcher not open to applicants outside ETH
• Apply as a single entrepreneurial lead applicant (collaborators may join the interview, but the award goes to the individual)
• No company for the project may already be legally incorporated at application time
• Global Development track only: venture must serve people living on less than USD 10/day in a country on the OECD DAC List 2025

Eligibility Criteria for Admission (institution-side):

• The project must be fully backed by an ETH Zurich host professor
• Must present a credible business case: defined Technology Readiness Level, clear IP/freedom-to-operate position, realistic go-to-market plan
• Assessed on innovation level, market readiness, IP situation, social/environmental impact (Global Development track), and interview performance

How to Apply?

• Read the official Pioneer Fellowship Deep-Tech or Global Development guidelines before you start
• Choose one track only: Deep-Tech or Global Development
• Prepare your documents as PDFs (max. 15 MB total): Project Summary, IP Situation, Applicant CV, Publication List, Host Professor Support Letter, Supplementary Info
• Record a short video presentation (max. 2 minutes, MP4) and upload it to a platform of your choice
• Submit everything online via ETH’s eResearch grant application system before September 1, 2026, 5:00 PM Swiss time

Apply Now