EDEY New PhD Students

Contractual possibilities for doctoral candidates:

EPFL Doctoral candidates may hold PhD assistant position for a maximum period of six years. This status entails:

  • Full-time employment.
  • A specific salary scale starting at CHF 55,150 gross per year (valid from 01.01.2025).
  • No involvement in other professional activities.

Doctoral candidates employed by EFPL must be funded for the entire duration of their doctoral studies.

At the time of hiring, the supervisor agrees to finance the doctoral student for the duration of their doctoral studies.

The doctoral candidate is not employed by EPFL. This status entails:

  • Employment at another academic institution (HES, etc.), in public administration or in a company.

or

  • A foreign PhD fellowship.

In order to be accepted at EPFL and into EDEY, third-party funded doctoral candidates must:

  • Demonstrate that they have an annual income equivalent to the minimum salary paid to EPFL doctoral candidates.
  • Demonstrate that they have sufficient time to complete their dissertation. If employed, doctoral candidates must provide a written statement from their employer confirming that they will devote at least 50% of their working time to their dissertation. If the doctoral candidate is employed part-time and receives a sufficient salary, this proof is not required).

Third-party financed doctoral candidates enrolled at EPFL are expected to complete their dissertation within 48 months, like doctoral candidates funded by EPFL.

In all cases, the arrival of these doctoral candidates must be reported to the Human Resources Department.

These doctoral students are enrolled in a PhD program at a university other than EPFL and are hosted at EPFL as part of an exchange.

This status entails:

  • Funding from a source other than EPFL, although the salary scale does not necessarily have to correspond to that of an EPFL doctoral candidate.
  • A minimum monthly net income of CHF 2,500, as required by the Swiss government to issue a work permit.
  • In all cases, the arrival of these doctoral candidates must be reported to the Human Resources Department.