Branco Weiss Fellowship — five-year postdoctoral fellowship for non-mainstream research (2027 intake)

About this program

Society in Science — The Branco Weiss Fellowship, administered by ETH Zurich, awards up to CHF 600,000 for five-year postdoctoral projects that deliberately depart from their discipline’s mainstream, organized as a 2.5-year pioneer phase followed by review and a 2.5-year exploitation phase. Applicants must have a PhD conferred by 15 Jan 2027 obtained no more than five years earlier, must not have held a faculty-equivalent position, and must demonstrate an outstanding scientific record and a commitment to engaging beyond their discipline on social, cultural, political or economic issues. Fellows must be able to travel to the Greater Zurich Area and attend an annual in-person symposium, and each candidate must be the sole mentee supported by their chosen mentor for the round; only parental leave or illness (with prior official confirmation) can extend the post-PhD eligibility period. Fellows are encouraged to seek faculty positions during the exploitation phase and may accept a faculty appointment after the first year without terminating the fellowship.