Summary:
The Swiss AI Initiative Visiting PhD Programme 2026 invites outstanding international PhD candidates to undertake a 3–6 month research stay at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne under the framework of the Swiss AI Initiative. The programme supports compute-intensive AI research projects leveraging the powerful Alps supercomputer and promotes global collaboration in artificial intelligence research.
Selected candidates will receive a CHF 2,500 per month fellowship and gain access to cutting-edge computational infrastructure. Upon completion, fellows may apply for a continuation grant of up to 50,000 GPU hours.
Swiss AI Initiative Visiting PhD Programme 2026 at EPFL, Switzerland
Designation:
Visiting PhD Fellow (Swiss AI Initiative)
Research Area:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine Learning & Deep Learning
- Large-scale / Compute-heavy AI Research
- High-Performance Computing Applications
- AI Systems leveraging Supercomputing Infrastructure
- Collaborative AI projects aligned with Swiss AI objectives
Location:
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Collaboration opportunities also extend within the Swiss AI ecosystem, including ETH Zurich.
Eligibility / Qualification:
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be enrolled in a PhD programme at a foreign university (outside Switzerland).
- Application must be supported and nominated by an EPFL Principal Investigator (PI).
- The proposed research must:
- Directly contribute to Swiss AI Initiative goals.
- Align with Swiss AI objectives.
- Demonstrate clear mutual added value.
- Examples of direct contributions include participation in Swiss AI flagship or large-scale projects.
Job Description / Programme Details:
Selected Visiting PhD Fellows will:
- Conduct 3–6 months of AI research at EPFL.
- Work on compute-intensive projects utilizing the Alps supercomputer.
- Collaborate with leading Swiss AI researchers and laboratories.
- Contribute to national-level AI research initiatives.
- Engage in the broader Swiss AI community and partner institutions.
- Become eligible for a continuation grant of up to 50k GPU hours upon successful completion of the visit.
The exact duration and schedule will be jointly decided by the candidate and the hosting EPFL laboratory.
Funding & Benefits:
- CHF 2,500 per month fellowship contribution.
- Funding duration: 3–6 months.
- Access to high-performance computing resources (Alps supercomputer).
- Opportunity for GPU continuation grant (up to 50,000 GPU hours).
- Integration into Switzerland’s national AI research ecosystem.
- Potential for long-term institutional collaboration between home university and EPFL.
Any additional salary complement, if required, will be covered by the hosting laboratory.
Fellowship funds are managed by the hosting laboratory and paid retroactively at the end of the visit.
The research stay must be completed by December 2026.
Application Process:
Application Mode:
- EPFL Principal Investigators (PIs) must nominate candidates via the official application form.
Evaluation Criteria:
Applications will be reviewed by an internal committee based on:
- Scientific excellence and proposal quality
- Relevance to Swiss AI Initiative objectives
- Contribution to the Swiss AI research community
Important Dates:
- Application Opening Date: January 19, 2026
- Application Deadline: February 28, 2026
- Programme Completion Deadline: December 2026
How to Apply:
- Contact and secure support from an EPFL Principal Investigator.
- The supporting PI must submit the nomination through the official application form before the deadline.
- Ensure the proposal clearly demonstrates alignment with Swiss AI Initiative objectives.
This is an excellent opportunity for ambitious PhD researchers worldwide to collaborate with top AI scientists at EPFL and leverage world-class supercomputing resources for impactful AI research.
