The application deadline is 9 November 2026.
Most researchers read that and think they have time. They do not if they have not already started the step that determines whether their application is even possible.
Before you can submit anything to EPFL AI Center Postdoctoral Fellowship, you need written support from two EPFL faculty members affiliated with the AI Center. Not one. Two. Both must agree to co-host your research before a single document gets uploaded.
Finding the right professors, reading their recent work, reaching out professionally, having substantive conversations about a shared research agenda and securing formal commitment from two separate academics takes weeks. Researchers who discover this requirement in October are already behind.
The third call for the EPFL AI Center and Swiss AI Initiative Postdoctoral Fellowships is open now. If this program matches your research profile the time to move is not when the deadline feels close. It is now.
At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Fellowship | EPFL AI Center and Swiss AI Initiative Postdoc Fellowship |
| Institution | EPFL Lausanne Switzerland |
| Call | Third Call |
| Nationality | Open to all nationalities |
| PhD requirement | Obtained within 2 years of deadline |
| Salary contribution | About 50 percent from fellowship 50 percent from host labs |
| Research budget | Up to CHF 5000 per fellowship year |
| Host professors required | Two EPFL AI Center faculty members |
| Application deadline | 9 November 2026 17:00 CET |
| Applications per person | One only |
What EPFL Is Offering
- EPFL is one of the leading technical universities in Europe.
- Its AI Center brings together researchers from computer science, engineering, mathematics, life sciences, and social sciences.
- The fellowship is part of this wider AI research environment.
- Fellows do not work in just one laboratory or with only one supervisor.
- They must develop a research project that involves at least two EPFL laboratories.
- This helps support AI research that connects different fields and cannot easily be done within one department.
- The program is especially suitable for research questions that need a multidisciplinary approach.
- Fellows also take part in AI Center activities and strategic research initiatives.
- So, the fellowship offers more than laboratory research and gives fellows access to a wider AI research community.
The Salary Arrangement
The fellowship contributes approximately 50 percent of the postdoctoral researcher’s salary per year. The remaining 50 percent is covered by the host laboratories.
This is a co-funded model. Host professors make a financial commitment to the fellow’s position. Understanding this before approaching potential supervisors is important. It explains why professors need to be genuinely interested in the collaboration, not just nominally supportive.
Salary amounts follow EPFL’s standard salary scales and HR policies with associated social security arrangements included.
On top of salary, fellows receive up to CHF 5000 per fellowship year for eligible research expenses covering:
- Research costs
- Open research data expenses
- Open access publication costs
- Travel and conference participation
These costs must be justified in the proposed budget and reported afterward. Anything beyond the fellowship’s eligible funding falls to the host professors to cover.
Host laboratories also provide office space, laboratory facilities, equipment and administrative support.
Eligibility Criteria
The fellowship targets outstanding postdoctoral researchers in AI and related fields.
Core requirements:
- PhD in computer science, physics engineering, applied mathematics or another field relevant to AI obtained no more than two years before the 9 November 2026 deadline
- Strong academic record and significant research accomplishments
- Support confirmed from two EPFL AI Center faculty members before submitting
- Senior PhD students in their final year can apply, provided they complete their doctorate before the fellowship begins.
- Both external candidates and researchers already at EPFL may apply. External candidates receive priority consideration.
- There are no nationality restrictions, no age limits and the program actively encourages applications from researchers of all genders and backgrounds.
How Applications Are Evaluated
The selection committee assesses every application across three areas.
Scientific excellence covers the originality of the proposed research the quality of the methodology and the applicant’s demonstrated competence. A compelling research question paired with a credible approach carries more weight than an ambitious proposal with no clear methodology.
Research impact examines the potential contribution to AI research specifically alongside opportunities for meaningful collaboration within EPFL’s research ecosystem. Generic proposals that could have been submitted to any institution score poorly here.
Feasibility asks whether the proposed work can realistically be completed with the available resources infrastructure and management structure across two laboratories. Reviewers look for proposals grounded in what EPFL’s labs can actually support.
External reviews may be commissioned where appropriate.
How to Apply?
This is where the fellowship differs most from standard postdoctoral applications and where most candidates underestimate the time required.
EPFL’s AI Center faculty spans a wide range of research areas. Identifying two professors whose work genuinely intersects with your proposed research agenda, reading their recent publications, formulating a collaboration proposal that makes sense for both labs and securing formal commitment from both takes sustained effort.
A few things worth knowing before you start reaching out:
- Cold emails work better when they reference specific papers. Professors receive many general inquiries. An email that opens with a specific connection to their recent work, explains your proposed research clearly and articulates why two lab collaboration makes scientific sense gets read differently from a generic inquiry.
- The co-funded model matters in your pitch. Because host professors contribute 50 percent of your salary, they are making a real investment. Framing your research as genuinely valuable to both labs, not just requesting support, changes the conversation.
- Start with the professor whose research aligns most closely with your primary focus. Use that connection to think about which second laboratory could add a complementary dimension. The two collaborations should feel scientifically coherent not arbitrarily assembled to meet a requirement.
Apply Now for EPFL AI Center Fellowship
Preparing a Competitive Proposal
The selection committee is expert in AI related research. Vague claims about interdisciplinary impact will not survive that level of review.
Strong proposals typically share a few characteristics. The research question is specific and clearly connected to open problems in AI. The methodology is detailed enough to be credible but flexible enough to adapt across two laboratory environments. The connection between the applicant’s existing work and the proposed direction is explicit, not implied.
The proposal should also reflect genuine engagement with EPFL’s research infrastructure. Proposals that could be submitted unchanged to any European research institution miss the point of a fellowship built around cross laboratory collaboration at a specific institution.
All documents must be prepared and submitted in English through EPFL’s online submission platform.