Funding opportunities
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich awards different fellowships for visiting post-tenure professors or research scientists, PhD students, and Postdocs.
Katharina von Salis Visiting Faculty Fellowship
The Katharina von Salis Visiting Faculty Fellowship at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences is open to post-tenure woman-identifying professors or research scientists holding a comparable position at an established university or research institute. Von Salis visiting fellows ideally overlap in research interests with multiple groups in the department, participate in research projects with departmental members, and participate in teaching by delivering guest lectures, short courses and/or field trips.
Application
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich welcomes applications for the Katharina von Salis Visiting Faculty Fellowship.
The application deadline is on 30 November 2026.
Successful fellows will receive:
- a stipend to support three months lodging for the fellow (and their spouse/children if applicable). Stays up to six months can potentially be negotiated but are dependent on funding availability and visa status constraints
- access to departmental analytical facilities
- office space and administrative support, including assistance in finding housing and/or childcare. Childcare expenses will be supported financially
Interested applicants should submit:
- a curriculum vitae
- a list of publications
- a cover letter outlining (2 pages)
- your motivation to visit the department
- the department members and groups you would interact with, and how this interaction will allow building lasting research links
- a research plan for the duration of your visit, potential projects you are interested in and how they fit into existing facilities and research activities
- potential Master's or PhD-level courses you would be interested in teaching or co-teaching and how they complement existing D-EAPS lectures
- an ideal timeframe of your visit
- a letter of support from the host professor at ETH that outlines what the fellow will bring to the department
- please note that the originality, impact, and relevance of the proposed research topics will be assessed by readers with varying professional backgrounds and should therefore be presented in clear and accessible language.
Please email your application as a single PDF to with the subject line “von Salis Fellowship Application Materials”.
Judith McKenzie Visiting Early Career Researcher Fellowship
The Judith McKenzie Visiting Early Career Researcher Fellowship is open to woman-identifying PhD students (in any year of their programme) and Postdocs (within three years of obtaining their PhD) who are currently enrolled/employed at an established university or research institute. The goal of the fellowship is to foster scientific interactions, develop broader research networks, and ultimately to help improve gender representation in our community.
Application
The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at ETH Zurich welcomes applications for the Judith McKenzie Visiting Early Career Researcher Fellowship.
The application deadline 30 October 2026.
Successful fellows will receive:
- a stipend of CHF 2500 per month for a stay from 2-6 months to help offset living expenses
- access to departmental analytical facilities
- office space associated with a host professor’s research group
- support in finding temporary housing and/or visitor visa applications
Preference will be given to applicants whose active research interests are complementary to ongoing projects in the department and/or that can benefit from specific expertise or analytical facilities our department hosts. Funding is available to award up to six fellowships in the current academic year.
Interested applicants should submit:
- a letter of support from the host professor at ETH that outlines what the fellow will bring to the department.
- a 2-page CV that includes the scientific age (in months) since the start of the PhD. Candidates who have completed their PhD should report the number of months elapsed since the PhD degree. Interruptions can be mentioned.
- a short motivation letter (max. 2 pages) that includes a plain language summary, outlines the research plan and how the fellowship will benefit the scientific career of the applicant. An indication should be given of the requested duration of the fellowship and a timeline.
- the names of three references.
Please email your application to with “McKenzie Early Career Fellowship Application” in the subject line.