Elite PhD Positions at ETH Zurich Switzerland (Updated)

Explore PhD Positions at ETH Zurich Switzerland. ✅ World-leading research in Switzerland. ❌ Deadlines for AI and Quantum grants are approaching. Secure your elite role now!

ETH Zurich is a world-renowned center for science and technology. In 2026, it continues to lead global rankings, particularly in Computer Science, Engineering, and Physical Sciences. For researchers, it offers an environment defined by extreme precision, massive computing power (including the Swiss AI Initiative), and some of the highest academic salaries in the world.

Why Choose ETH Zurich for Your Research?

  • World-Class Salaries: Researchers at ETH are university employees with competitive pay. For 2026, the standard gross rates (100% employment) are:
    • PhD Students: CHF 61,300 (Year 1) to CHF 64,200 (Year 4).
    • Postdoctoral Researchers: CHF 106,400 (Year 1) to CHF 117,200 (Year 3).
  • Minimal Tuition Fees: Unlike many top-tier global universities, PhD students at ETH Zurich pay a one-time flat-rate tuition fee of only CHF 1,500 for the entire doctorate, making it highly accessible for self-funded or grant-funded researchers.
  • The Swiss AI Initiative: ETH is a primary hub for this initiative, offering specialized “Small Grants” (20k–50k GPU hours) for projects involving large-scale AI training and evaluation.

Below is the latest list of verified academic vacancies at ETH Zurich. These include high-priority roles in Quantum Engineering, Robotics, and Sustainable Architecture.

PhD Positions at ETH Zurich Switzerland

PhD Student in Applied ML and NLP100%, Zurich, fixed-term16.04.2026 | Center for Law & Economics

PhD Student in Law100%, Zurich, fixed-term16.04.2026 | Center for Law & Economics

PhD Position on ‘The Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Repetitive Negative Thoughts’100%, Zurich, fixed-term16.04.2026 | Department of Health Sciences and Technology (D-HEST)

PhD Position: Optimization of shut-in strategies to reduce induced seismicity100%, Zurich, fixed-term13.04.2026 | Chair of Engineering Geology and BedrettoLab

Doctoral student in induced and natural seismicity forecasting100%, Zurich, fixed-term13.04.2026 | Swiss Seismological Service (SED)

PhD position in Crop Phenotyping (PhenoMix project)100%, Zurich, fixed-term13.04.2026 | Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS)

PhD Researcher – AI TokCart100%, Singapore, fixed-term10.04.2026 | Future Cities Lab Global (FCL Global) and Future Health Technologies (FHT)

Two PhD positions on Innovation and Policy of Energy Storage100%, Zurich, fixed-term10.04.2026 | Energy and Technology Policy Group (D-GESS)

Two doctoral students in plant ecophysiology and ecosystem services of crop mixtures (Project: PhenoMix)100%, Zurich, fixed-term09.04.2026 | Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS)

PhD Position: Seismic Detection, Localization and Characterization of Explosion Events in Underground Ammunition Storage Facilities100%, Zurich, fixed-term08.04.2026 | Swiss Seismological Service (SED) and BedrettoLab (D-EAPS)

PhD position in Cell Mechanobiology100%, Zurich, fixed-term07.04.2026 | Macromolecular Engineering Lab (D-MAVT)

PhD student in data-driven and hybrid hydrological modeling100%, Zurich, fixed-term02.04.2026 | Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science

PhD Position: Order-from-Disorder in Frustrated Quantum Magnets100%, Zurich, fixed-term01.04.2026 | Department of Physics, Laboratory for Solid State Physics, Neutron Scattering and Magnetism (NSM) group

PhD Student / Doctoral Researcher Position in Supply Chain Management100%, Zurich, fixed-term30.03.2026 | Supply Chain Management Group

Doctoral Student in Forest Management Effects on Water Quality100%, Zurich, fixed-term30.03.2026 | Institute of Environmental Engineering & Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems

PhD Position in Advanced Bioelectronic & Electrical Conversion Research100%, Basel, fixed-term26.03.2026 | Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering

PhD Position for Synthetic Biology-Inspired Therapies100%, Basel, fixed-term26.03.2026 | Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering

PhD Position in Management and Organization Research: AI in Strategic Management100%, Zurich, fixed-term25.03.2026 | Department of Management, Technology, and Economics (D-MTEC)

PhD position: Examining the thresholds in past Atlantic Ocean circulation using stalagmite geochemistry100%, Zurich, fixed-term23.03.2026 | Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Doctoral researcher (PhD Position) in Conversational AI for Customer and Employee Interactions100%, Zurich, fixed-term23.03.2026 | Department of Management, Technology, and Economics

PhD position – Source tracking for bioaerosol100%, Zurich, fixed-term23.03.2026 | Institute of Environmental Engineering

Doctoral position in the professorship of history and philosophy of mathematical sciences100%, Zurich, fixed-term17.03.2026 | Chair of History and Philosophy of Mathematical Science

PhD Position, Electricity Market Design in the Energy Transition: Implications for System Security100%, Zurich, fixed-term13.03.2026 | Departement Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik, Reliability and Risk Engineering

PhD Position, Foundation models for the electric power grid of the future100%, Zurich, fixed-term13.03.2026 | Departement Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik, Reliability and Risk Engineering

Doctoral Positions in Control, Stochastic Dynamics, and Machine Learning for Synthetic Biology100%, Basel, fixed-term09.03.2026 | Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich

Two PhD positions in Statistical Genomics / Computational Genomics100%, Zurich, fixed-term20.02.2026 | Institute of Agricultural Sciences

PhD position in numerical and experimental studies of non-spherical and deformable granular systems100%, Zurich, fixed-term13.02.2026 | Laboratory of Energy Science and Engineering, D-MAVT

PhD Position in Membrane Separations100%, Zurich, fixed-term09.02.2026 | Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT)

PhD position: Structure-activity relationships for CO2 capture materials100%, Zurich, fixed-term05.02.2026 | Laboratory of Energy Science and Engineering

Doctoral student position – Evaluating novel mineral sources for treatment of micronutrient deficiencies in humans100%, Zurich, fixed-term02.02.2026 | Department of Health Science and Technology

PhD Position in Human–Computer Interaction and Extended Reality in Architectural Design and Fabrication100%, Zurich, fixed-term28.01.2026 | Department Architecture, Architecture and Human Augmentation

Doctoral Researcher in Food Processing for Planetary and Human Health100%, Zurich, fixed-term27.01.2026 | ETH Zurich Sustainable Food Processing Laboratory, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health IFNH, Department of Health Science & Technology D-HEST

Doctoral Researcher in Sustainability Assessment for Evaluating Future Global Food Systems100%, Zurich, fixed-term19.01.2026 | ETH Zurich Sustainable Food Processing Laboratory, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health IFNH, Department of Health Science & Technology D-HEST

PhD Position in Computational Materials Discovery for Extreme Environments100%, Zurich, fixed-term14.01.2026 | Department of Materials

PhD position: Modeling friction in colloidal suspensions100%, Zurich, fixed-term09.01.2026 | Institute for Building Materials