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Fellowship

Call for Proposal: CYD Master Thesis Fellowships for Master Students in Switzerland

Key information

Location
Switzerland
Opportunity type
Fellowship
Published
May 21, 2026
Eligible gender
Male, Female
Study level
Master, Research
Funding
Partially Funded
Application fee required
No
Program language
English
Language requirement
Not Required
Program duration
6 months
Fields of study
Different

Quick summary

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne and the Cyber-Defence (CYD) Campus have jointly designed the “CYD Fellowships – A Talent Program for Cyber-Defense Research.” Hence, several fellowships are offered to master’s degree students to enable them to complete a master’s thesis on one of the 62 topics defined by CYD or other candidate-proposed topics at the institution under the observation of a professor from a Switzerland higher education institution or university. Applicants from around the world who meet the eligibility below can apply and take advantage of this opportunity to produce a reputable and high-quality master’s thesis.

A quick overview based on the listing. Review the full details below before applying.

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[email protected]

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Overview

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne and the Cyber-Defence (CYD) Campus have jointly designed the “CYD Fellowships – A Talent Program for Cyber-Defense Research.” Hence, several fellowships are offered to master’s degree students to enable them to complete a master’s thesis on one of the 62 topics defined by CYD or other candidate-proposed topics at the institution under the observation of a professor from a Switzerland higher education institution or university.  Applicants from around the world who meet the eligibility below can apply and take advantage of this opportunity to produce a reputable and high-quality master’s thesis.

Details

Application Deadline: Accepted on a rolling basis

Organizers: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and CYD

Location: Switzerland

Institution: CYD Campus

Duration of Support: 6 months

Eligible Countries: All

Benefits

Benefits provided include and are limited to:

  • Living stipend worth CHF 2’000.- per month for a maximum duration of 6 months.
  • Research costs: a maximum amount of CHF 1’500

Program Research Areas

The Fellowships are open to researchers at the master level who are willing to contribute to issues at the crossroads of cyber-security and data science, with a particular stress on:

  • Data analytics (5 topics available)
  • Data science (9 topics available)
  • Machine learning (4 topics available)
  • Mobile security (5 topics available)
  • Natural language processing (1 topic available)
  • Network security (6 topics available)
  • Penetration testing (4 topics available)
  • Technology monitoring (8 topics available)
  • Vulnerability research (4 topics available)

See the full list of thesis topics here.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants should meet the following criteria:

  • Citizens of any country are eligible to apply for the CYD Master Thesis Fellowships.
  • No age restrictions are in place.
  • Applicants must be registered in a Master’s program at a higher education institution (university or school of applied sciences) in Switzerland and have the confirmation of a professor employed in this institution ready to supervise them.

How to Apply?

Applicants must apply online and submit all mandatory documents through the online submission platform.

Before applying, please make sure you read the application guidelines carefully.

Apply Now

Selection and Evaluation

Two stages in the selection process

Stage 1:

  • Applications evaluated by the CYD Campus internal committee
  • Criteria: candidate’s fit with CYD Campus and program aims
  • Shortlisted applicants are assigned a prospective mentor

Stage 2:

    • Prospective mentor interviews shortlisted applicants
    • Applicants need a mentor’s endorsement to proceed to Stage 2
  • Final Decision:
    • Made by a committee chaired by the CYD Campus Director
    • The committee includes 3-5 members from CYD Campus and Swiss higher education institutions

Required documents

  • Letter of motivation
  • Curriculum Vitae (max. two pages), including a list of publications, if relevant.
  • Diploma and transcript
  • Recommendation letters from two referees
  • Master thesis topic
  • Project proposal
  • Project Plan (Template)
  • Budget Calculator (Template)
  • Host institution’s acceptance letter
  • Ethical Issues Form

Note: All documents must be in English.

Visit the official link to read more details about the fellowship.

Should you need more information and help, refer to the contact information below.

Research Office

Av. Auguste-Piccard 1
CH – 1015 Lausanne

Contact email: [email protected]

Check More Fellowships:

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TWAS-SN Bose Postgraduate Fellowship Program for Ph.D. and Postdoc Research- India

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