Opportunity Title : ETH Zurich Pioneer Scholarship 2026: Complete Application Requirements

Successful applicants will receive a wide range of financial and professional benefits throughout the fellowship, including:

• Lump-sum funding of CHF 120,000 for a 12-month fellowship in ICT, Space Technology, and Engineering projects.
• CHF 180,000 for an 18-month fellowship in Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Medical Technology projects.
• CHF 150,000 for an 18-month fellowship under the Global Development track.
• Employment as a scientific staff member at ETH Zurich, with salary fully covered through the fellowship grant.
• Personalized coaching, entrepreneurial training, and continuous mentorship from experienced professionals.
• Full support from an ETH Zurich host professor, including access to university laboratories, infrastructure, and research facilities.
• Free enrollment in the Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Technology Ventures (CAS ETH ELTV).
• Fellows in the Global Development track will also receive an additional CAS offered through ETH NADEL.
• Any remaining project funds after salary expenses may be used for project operations, travel, fieldwork, participation in industry exhibitions, and other approved project costs.
• If no company is established at the end of the fellowship, participants are not required to repay the funding.
• If a spin-off company is created, ETH Zurich applies its standard participation model, which includes either 2% equity ownership or a 1.5% fee on capital raised up to CHF 10 million, depending on the agreement.

Follow these steps to apply for the ETH Zurich Pioneer Scholarship 2026:

1. Carefully read the official program guidelines to understand all eligibility requirements and application instructions.

Prepare all required application documents using the official templates provided by ETH Zurich. These include:

• Project Summary
• Intellectual Property (IP) Situation
• Applicant Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Publication List
• Host Professor Support Letter
• Supplementary Information

1. Record a 2-minute video presentation introducing yourself and your project. Upload the video to a suitable online platform and generate a shareable link.
2. Submit your complete application through the ETH Zurich eResearch Grant Application System before the application deadline.

The ETH Zurich Pioneer Scholarship 2026 is a prestigious, fully funded incubation program designed to help ETH Zurich students and researchers transform groundbreaking research into real-world products and services.

The program supports participants who have innovative, research-based technologies and want to bring them to market by launching successful startup companies. Over a period of 12 to 18 months, selected fellows receive financial support, expert mentorship, entrepreneurial training, and access to ETH Zurich's world-class research facilities and innovation ecosystem.

Rather than simply funding research, the Pioneer Fellowship focuses on helping participants validate their ideas, develop viable business models, and prepare their technologies for commercialization. Throughout the fellowship, participants work closely with experienced mentors, industry experts, investors, and their host professors to maximize the chances of building a successful spin-off company.

Whether your innovation is in engineering, life sciences, medical technology, software, or global development, the ETH Zurich Pioneer Scholarship provides the resources needed to transform research into practical solutions that create real-world impact.

To qualify for the ETH Zurich Pioneer Scholarship 2026, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• The application must be submitted by one entrepreneurial applicant who is either:
  • an ETH Zurich Master's student,
  • an ETH Zurich doctoral student, or
  • an ETH Zurich researcher.
• The applicant must intend to commercialize research results developed at ETH Zurich.
• The proposed company must not already be incorporated before the application is submitted.
• Every project must have the full support of an ETH Zurich host professor.
• Applicants must present a strong and convincing business case demonstrating the commercial potential of their innovation.
• Applicants applying under the Global Development track must show that their innovation will benefit people living on less than USD 10 per day in eligible low- and middle-income countries listed under the OECD DAC List 2025.