Swiss Summer Student Programme — ETH Zurich, EPFL, Bern

What this is

A nine-week paid research placement across four of Switzerland's strongest research institutions — ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, EPFL and the University of Bern. Students join a working research group and contribute to an active project rather than shadowing one.

Nine weeks is long for a summer programme. That length is what makes it a real research experience: enough time to learn a technique, run something, and have a result to talk about afterwards.

Who it is for

Bachelor's and master's students, of any nationality, studying:

• Physics, applied physics or medical physics
• Engineering
• Computing science
• Materials science

You must remain enrolled at your university for the duration of the placement — this is an internship attached to a degree, not a graduate position. Recent graduates who have already finished are outside the criteria.

What is covered

Unusually complete for a summer research programme:

• Travel to and from Switzerland
• Visa expenses
• Health insurance
• A living allowance covering accommodation and food

The organisers have not published the allowance figure. Switzerland is among the most expensive countries in the world to live in, so ask what the number is at offer stage and check it against real Zurich or Lausanne prices before committing — a stipend that would be generous elsewhere goes quickly there.

Covering the visa fee is worth noting. Most programmes leave it with the applicant, and for a nine-week national visa it is not trivial.

Timing

The 2026 round closed on 20 March 2026 and runs from 13 July to 13 September 2026 — it is underway as this is written.

The programme runs annually. On recent timing, applications open early in the year and close in March, so the realistic move now is to prepare for the 2027 round rather than to apply.

Preparing for the next round

Research placements at this level read applications for evidence you can contribute from week one:

• Coursework that maps onto a named group's work — be specific about which group and why
• Laboratory, computational or instrumentation experience
• Programming, particularly Python, C++ or MATLAB, for anything computational
• An academic referee who has supervised you on real work, not only taught you

A Swiss national visa for a placement of this length takes several weeks and needs documentation from the host institution. Selected students receive it, but build the time into your plans rather than assuming a fast turnaround.

Applying

Applications go directly to the programme through the official link on this page. We do not administer this placement or take applications for it.