The CYD Fellowships 2026 are a talent programme for cyber-defence research jointly launched by EPFL and the Cyber-Defence Campus. The programme supports Master Thesis, Doctoral, and Distinguished Postdoctoral fellowships for candidates working across cyber-defence, security, and data science. The 14th call opened on 3 June 2026, with a deadline of 19 August 2026 at 17:00 CEST for Doctoral and Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship applications.
Programme Snapshot
Programme: CYD Fellowships – A Talent Program for Cyber-Defence Research
Category: Research Fellowship
Organizers: EPFL and the Cyber-Defence Campus
Country: Switzerland
Research Location: CYD Campus on the premises of EPFL and ETHZ, and in its office in Thun
Fellowship Types: Master Thesis, Doctoral, and Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships
Application Deadline: 19 August 2026, 17:00 CEST for Doctoral and Distinguished Postdoctoral applications
Master Thesis Deadline: Rolling call; applications may be submitted throughout the year
Next Call: 15th call opens on 3 December 2026
About the CYD Fellowships 2026
The CYD Fellowships aim to promote research and education in cyber-defence. EPFL and the Cyber-Defence Campus created the programme to support new solutions for major challenges in security and data science.
The fellowships connect basic and applied research in cyber-defence. Fellows are hosted by a higher education institution in Switzerland and conduct their research at the CYD Campus.
The programme is highly competitive. The official page states that the primary evaluation criterion is excellence, measured through academic records and professional accomplishments.
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Fellowship Types
The CYD Fellowships include three main fellowship categories.
CYD Master Thesis Fellowships
The Master Thesis Fellowship provides a living allowance and research funds for six months. It enables fellows to complete a Master thesis at the CYD Campus under the supervision of a professor or supervisor at a higher education institution in Switzerland.
Master Thesis applicants may select one topic from the list defined by the CYD Campus. They may also propose their own thesis topic through the application platform.
CYD Doctoral Fellowships
The Doctoral Fellowship provides salary, research funds, and conference funds for four years, with a possible one-year extension. It supports fellows completing a PhD thesis at the CYD Campus under the supervision of a professor at a higher education institution in Switzerland.
Applicants must show that their project can significantly influence security and data science research. The project must also have significant impact on Swiss cyber-defence.
CYD Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship provides salary, research funds, and conference funds for up to two years. It supports postdoctoral researchers completing a research project at the CYD Campus under the supervision of a professor at a higher education institution in Switzerland.
Postdoctoral projects must bring together researchers from the CYD Campus and at least one higher education institution in Switzerland.
Research Focus Areas
The CYD Fellowships are open to researchers who want to work on cross-cutting issues in cyber-defence.
The official programme highlights areas such as:
• Protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cyber and cyber-physical systems
• Information sharing, data fusion, and crowdsourcing
• Data science and AI methods for analysing cyber- and technology-relevant data
• Security, privacy, and digital trust technologies
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Funding and Fellowship Support
The fellowship support depends on the fellowship type.
For Master Thesis Fellows, eligible costs include:
✓ Living allowance of CHF 2,500 per month for a maximum duration of 6 months
✓ Research costs of up to CHF 1,500 for specific equipment needed for the project
For Doctoral Fellows, eligible costs include:
✓ Salary contribution, including social security benefits
✓ Research costs of up to CHF 3,000 per year
✓ Conference costs of up to CHF 5,000 per year
For Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellows, eligible costs include:
✓ Salary contribution, including social security benefits
✓ Research costs of up to CHF 3,000 per year
✓ Conference costs of up to CHF 5,000 per year
The official page states that research costs are for specific equipment needed for the project and not for general IT material.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility rules vary by fellowship level.
For the Master Thesis Fellowship:
• Citizens of any nationality may apply.
• No age restrictions apply.
• Applicants must be enrolled in a Master programme at a higher education institution in Switzerland.
• Applicants must have the endorsement of a professor or supervisor employed by that Swiss institution.
For the Doctoral Fellowship:
• Citizens of any nationality may apply.
• No age restrictions apply.
• Applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral programme at a Swiss higher education institution.
• Applicants must have the endorsement of a professor employed by that institution when submitting the Stage 2 application.
• Applicants from a school of applied sciences must provide written confirmation at Stage 2 that they are also enrolled in a doctoral programme at a Swiss university.
• Preference is given to applicants who have not started their PhD or are at the beginning of their PhD.
For the Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship:
• Citizens of any nationality may apply.
• No age restrictions apply.
• Applicants must have the endorsement of a professor employed at a Swiss higher education institution when submitting the Stage 2 application.
• Applicants must conduct their postdoctoral research in a different laboratory from their doctoral research and, if applicable, their current postdoctoral research.
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Application Process
Applicants should review the application guidelines and the relevant application toolkit before preparing their materials. The official page provides separate toolkit links for Master Thesis applications and for Doctoral and Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship applications.
The application process is completed online.
• Applicants must submit all required documents through the online submission platform.
• All documents must be submitted in English.
• Doctoral and Distinguished Postdoctoral applicants must submit Stage 1 by 19 August 2026 at 17:00 CEST.
• Master Thesis Fellowship applications are accepted through a rolling call.
Selection Process
The selection process includes two stages.
In Stage 1, applications are reviewed by a CYD Campus internal committee chaired by the Director of the CYD Campus. The review considers the fit of the candidate with the CYD Campus and the fit of the application with the aims of the programme.
Shortlisted applicants are assigned a prospective CYD Campus mentor. The mentor interviews the applicant and decides whether to endorse the applicant for Stage 2.
Only endorsed applicants may proceed to Stage 2. Final decisions are made by a committee chaired by the Director of the CYD Campus and composed of 3 to 5 members representing the CYD Campus and Swiss higher education institutions.
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Key Dates
• 14th call opened: 3 June 2026
• Applicant workshop: 7 July 2026, 11:00–11:45 CEST
• Stage 1 submission deadline: 19 August 2026, 17:00 CEST
• Stage 2 full proposal deadline: 1 October 2026, 17:00 CEST
• Final decisions for the 14th call: end of November 2026
• Next call opens: 3 December 2026
• Next call Stage 1 deadline: 25 February 2027
Apply Here
Submit your application through the official application link below.
