Are you a Master’s graduate looking for fully funded PhD opportunities? Explore the range of funded PhD programs available at the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Apply online now and kickstart your doctoral journey!
1. Fully Funded PhD Position in Characterizing terrestrial exoplanets with the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) mission
Summary of PhD Program:
In this PhD project, you will work within the LIFE science team at ETH Zurich and contribute to the further development of the main science case of LIFE; that is, the atmospheric characterization of temperate terrestrial exoplanets. Using state-of-the-art simulation techniques, such as atmospheric retrieval frameworks, atmospheric and photo-chemistry models, atmospheric loss models, and the LIFE instrument simulator, you will carry out new analyses that lead to a better understanding of the diagnostic power of the LIFE mission.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2024
2. Fully Funded PhD Position in Mid-infrared photonics for the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE) mission
Summary of PhD Program:
In this project, you will work within the LIFE instrumentation team at ETH Zurich and investigate crucial components for the LIFE instrument; that is, integrated photonic chips at mid-infrared wavelengths. Photonic devices could in principle replace most of the bulk optics components currently foreseen in LIFE and significantly reduce weight and complexity. However, the full applicability of photonic devices over the LIFE wavelength range remains to be demonstrated. You will be trained in the design steps and fabrication techniques for the so-called III-V platform making use of the ETH-based FIRST lab.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2024
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3. Fully Funded PhD Position in Data-Driven Nonlinear Model Reduction
Summary of PhD Program:
The objective of the position is to work within a Swiss-French consortium of academic institutions to solve challenging model reduction problems using SSM-reduction and compare this approach with other model reductin methods, such as dynamic mode decompostion (DMD) or neural network-based methods. The level of the targeted problems will require further mathematical and algorithmic developments over the current state of data-driven SSM reduction. The PhD position will be based either within the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering or the Department of Mathematics at ETH Zurich, dependinhg on the candidate’s background and preferences.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
4. Fully Funded PhD Position in nonlinear laser spectroscopy on novel types of ferroic order
Summary of PhD Program:
The PhD project unites our leading international expertise in nonlinear laser spectroscopy and (multi-) ferroic materials. Currently the possible existence and physical properties of new forms of ordered states in matter are intensively discussed. Examples are advanced multiferroicity, altermagnetism, hidden order, chiral states, or topological phases. Systematic exploration of such states is an emerging topic and therefore offers the opportunity to contribute to the development of a new research field.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
5. Fully Funded PhD Position in Labour Economics
Summary of PhD Program:
The successful candidate(s) will primarily work on his/her dissertation in the field of applied labour economics, optimally on topics relevant for the Swiss labour market. In addition, the candidate will contribute to some of the tasks and outreach activities of the research division, particularly in the area of labour market monitoring and labour market analysis. During the dissertation, the doctoral candidate will also conduct empirical research as a co-author of a small number of internal reports, commissioned projects, or policy evaluations for the federal government, cantons, social partners or companies. These projects will be in close collaboration with the other members of the research group and the group head.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2024
6. Fully Funded PhD Position in Organic Chemistry/ Radiochemistry
Summary of PhD Program:
Radiopharmaceuticals are important molecular probes for the non-invasive detection of diseases with very high sensitivity. At the CRS we are developing and testing novel 18F-labelled radiopharmaceuticals for the detection of neurodegeneration, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. To achieve this goal, we also investigate novel chemistry and radiolabelling protocols.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
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7. Fully Funded PhD Position in Dissolution of Mg-based Silicate Minerals for Carbon Sequestration
Summary of PhD Program:
With growing concern over elevated levels of greenhouse gases there is an urgent need to develop effective solutions for their removal from the atmosphere. This project offers an exciting opportunity to investigate the dissolution and carbonation behavior of Mg-based silicate minerals. Using novel electrochemical methodologies and state-of-the-art material characterization techniques at the host institute, the candidate will develop a fundamental understanding of the reactivity and dissolution of Mg-based silicate minerals. The student will be part of an interdisciplinary team with expertise in electrochemistry, thermodynamic modeling, and materials science, receiving strong support throughout the project.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
8. Fully Funded PhD Position in Production Management
Summary of PhD Program:
Apply to two top institutions with one application! The Chair of POM at ETH Zurich and ITEM at HSG both conduct empirical and innovative production management research with high relevance and impact. For these positions, we are looking for candidates interested in completing a doctorate at the intersection of industry and academia. Candidates can expect close cooperation with industry partners and cross-institutional exchange and cooperation.
Application Deadline: 30.11.2024
9. Fully Funded PhD Position in Innovation Economics/ Management
Summary of PhD Program:
In order to advance this very important work, we are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a strong passion for quantitative research. This includes applying novel empirical methods (e.g., machine learning or deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and econometrics) to uncover new insights from comprehensive datasets and exploring policy measures that drive innovation in different economic sectors.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2024
10. Fully Funded PhD Position in Modeling Organic Carbon Sequestration in Marine Sediments
Summary of PhD Program:
This project aims to understand and quantify the global organic carbon budget in marine sediments and assess the influence of anthropogenic and climatic perturbations. It utilizes spatial machine learning models to determine the carbon budget which also serves to identify the environmental conditions that control the accumulation and remineralization of OC. The project focuses on how direct anthropogenic activities (such as river dams and coastal eutrophication) impact OC deposited in coastal marine sediments, and how climate change in Arctic environments has affected the accumulation of OC in Arctic sediments. Finally, it aims to predict future trends in the global carbon budget under the influence of climate change and anthropogenic perturbations.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
11. Fully Funded PhD Position in Security Politics
Summary of PhD Program:
We are seeking a highly motivated doctoral candidate to develop an original, independent research project in one of the following areas: Conflict Resolution & Violence Prevention / Digital Technologies, Strategic Competition & Security / The Intersection of Economy & Security. At ETH Zurich, you’ll have access to generous funding for conferences, summer schools, and data collection, with minimal teaching and administrative duties. Our collaborative team works on site right in the heart of Zurich, and we’re looking for someone eager to contribute not only to their own research but also to the broader intellectual life of our group and ETH.
Application Deadline: December 1, 2024
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12. Fully Funded PhD Position in Global History
Summary of PhD Program:
The Swiss National Science Foundation-funded Research Project Shaping Asian Future Generations in an Age of (De)Colonisation: Playgrounds and outdoor games in India and China (ca 1900–1950) directed by Dr Elena Valdameri is offering two PhD positions at the professorship for History of the Modern World in the Department of Humanities and Social and Political Sciences of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, Switzerland. The positions are funded for three and a half years (extendable to four years) and the theses will be supervised by Prof. Dr Harald Fischer-Tiné in close cooperation with Elena Valdameri. The start date is 1 December 2024 (or at the candidates’ earliest convenience). Workplace is based in Zurich.
Application Deadline: 31 October 2024
13. Fully Funded PhD Position in friction in architected materials
Summary of PhD Program:
Meta-materials, which are architected materials with properties resulting from their meso-structure, have gained increasing attention in recent years because of their unconventional and superior mechanical properties. While many meta-materials are designed to have unique dynamic properties, great resistance to damage, or outstanding toughness-density ratios, research on their frictional properties has been limited. In this project, our aim is to explore the mechanical properties of interfaces in architected materials with a particular focus on friction. We aim to establish the necessary understanding of friction at meta-interfaces that will enable the design of unconventional friction properties.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
14. Fully Funded PhD Position in Labour Economics
Summary of PhD Program:
The successful candidate(s) will conduct academic research within the project “Labor Market Inequality in Modern Labour Markets” funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. The project is led by Dr. Michael Siegenthaler and will last four years. Using large-scale register data linked to online employer review and survey data from Switzerland and Germany, the main research objectives of this project are to understand the importance of non-wage work arrangements for workers and firms – and the implications for labour market inequality – in Germany and Switzerland. Non-wage work arrangements, often referred to as amenities, include job benefits such as the option to work from home, company-sponsored childcare facilities, or fringe benefits such as a company car or extended paternity leave.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2024
15. Fully Funded PhD Position in directed evolution of material-making microbes
Summary of PhD Program:
Utilize a droplet microfluidic platform for the directed evolution of functional microorganisms and investigate genotype-phenotype correlations of selected strains compared to native species. The project will involve the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices, the directed evolution and sorting of microorganisms under selective pressure, as well as the characterization of the biological activity and the genetic analysis of selected microbial strains.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
16. Fully Funded PhD Position in Technology and AI for Individual and Organisational Resilience
Summary of PhD Program:
We are currently seeking a doctoral researcher with knowledge and skills in both data analytics (e.g., machine learning, statistics, econometrics) and behavioural sciences (e.g., experimental design, survey research, application/development of theory). They should be interested in applying their skill set across domain types and be highly flexible and responsive to emerging opportunities with partners across industry and society. The candidate should be highly motivated to drive projects forward, as well as network across Switzerland.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
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17. Fully Funded PhD Position in machine learning based predictions of river flow and water temperature in a changing climate
Summary of PhD Program:
Both river flow volumes and water temperature are essential factors in the energy system as they directly influence generation of hydropower and impact the cooling efficiency of thermal power plants. In Switzerland, anthropogenic climate change is affecting both water quantity and temperatures in rivers and streams thereby raising legitimate questions on associated risks to the energy system. To advance our understanding of climate change impacts on water flow volumes and temperature, the goal is to build on recent advances in using machine learning for hydrological modelling to develop spatially contiguous data-driven models of daily water temperature and river flow in Switzerland.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
18. Fully Funded PhD Position in Architecture and Technology
Summary of PhD Program:
We are looking for excellent people whose work demonstrates productive synergies between architecture and technology. We welcome architects with a solid technical, engineering or scientific background or interests and engineers/scientists whose work relates to architecture. We advise the applicants to thoroughly consult the ITA professorships’ websites before applying to ensure their research interests are compatible.
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
19. Fully Funded PhD Position in Spatial-Temporal Optimisation of Building Renovation Processes
Summary of PhD Program:
Within this project, the ETH will develop and test the digital spatio-temporal planning platform to achieve a more detailed assessment of disturbance to building occupants (noise, dust-creating activities, interventions in their apartment or commercial/educational space), planning of contractors (such as for indoor finishings, indoor adjustments for ventilation, and partial removals such as for windows), and identification of spaces on the construction site that are rich in biodiversity.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
20. Fully Funded PhD Position in Plant Ecological Genetics
Summary of PhD Program:
As part of her / his research, the doctoral student will help with the setup and implementation of the field experiments, maintain and curate the associated database, and contribute to and coordinate the analysis of phenotypic traits and fitness. She / he will then combine these data with genome-wide sequencing information to characterize the genetic basis of trait and fitness variation in different environments and the selective forces acting on the underlying genetic variants.
Application Deadline: 31 October 2024
21. Fully Funded PhD Position in combustion instabilities of hydrogen flames
Summary of PhD Program:
This research work will combine experiments and modeling. The experimental research will be performed on a lab-scale, high-pressure test facility. Experimental techniques for fluid mechanics, combustion and acoustics will be used, including laser-based optical diagnostics. The modeling work will consist in the development of analytical low-order models of the combustion instabilities, and in large eddy simulations of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
22. Fully Funded PhD Position in Cryo-Atom Probe Tomography for Corrosion Studies
Summary of PhD Program:
In this particular project, the student will develop an experimental methodology to study early-stage nanoscale corrosion processes at the metal-liquid interface, leveraging advanced microscopy techniques, namely cryo-transfer focused ion beam (FIB) and atom probe tomography (APT) in combination with additional nano-characterization techniques. The focus will lie on iron and steel corrosion in neutral and alkaline environments, that are relevant for infrastructure corrosion in the energy and transportation sector, radioactive waste disposal, or archaeology. The candidate will thus have the opportunity to engage in pioneering research at the intersection of microscopy and corrosion science, contributing to academic advancements and fundamental insights with broad industry relevance.
Application Deadline: 30 November 2024
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23.Fully Funded PhD Position in Rock Mechanics
Summary of PhD Program:
In this project, you will use the state-of-the-art laboratory and numerical modelling infrastructure available to the Chair of Engineering Geology to develop, test and apply a new methodology to investigate the behaviour of jointed rock. This will combine state-of-the-art mechanical tests with recent developments in additive manufacturing. You will then use numerical modelling to develop, validate and test the newly developed methodology. Finally, you will perform scaled experiments of engineering geology systems to make fundamental insights into processes such as rock slope failure and rock fracture propagation in jointed rock.
Application Deadline: October 31st, 2024
24. Fully Funded PhD Position in developing and building new concepts for ultra-fast, medium voltage solid-state pulse modulators
Summary of PhD Program:
We are seeking individuals with outstanding academic credentials and a high level of motivation to engage in doctoral-level research on the development of novel concepts for ultrafast pulse modulators capable of generating pulses with an amplitude of up to 15kV/300A, a pulse width in the range of 1-2ns and a rise/fall time of less than 500ps. Such fast ns-pulse generators are required, for example, in kicker systems, which are a key element of future synchrotron light sources (e.g. SLS 2.0 @ PSI) needed for basic research in biomedicine, engineering and natural sciences. The extremely fast rise and fall times of the pulses are crucial for the efficient operation of the kicker system without distorting the electron beam.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
25. Fully Funded PhD Position in Rheology of Metasedimentary Rocks
Summary of PhD Program:
Due to the abundance of quartz in the subduction zone interface and the continental crust, quartz rheology (e.g., dislocation creep in quartz) is typically used to model the strength of metasedimentary rocks in the subduction zone interface and the ductile continental crust. While the metasedimentary component of these tectonic processes is modeled based on the rheology of pure quartz, most quartz-bearing rocks are polyphase aggregates, with micas representing a ubiquitous accessory phase regularly showing microstructural evidence for pressure solution creep (PSC). Yet the quantitative effects of micas on the rheological properties of quartz-bearing aggregates and PSC are poorly constrained.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
26. Fully Funded PhD Position in Cryogenian Tillites as a Window into Subglacial Rheology
Summary of PhD Program:
The project will link structural geologic observations with glaciology concepts and will involve primary supervision by structural geologist Prof. Dr. Whitney Behr in collaboration with glaciologist Prof. Dr. Catherine Rose at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland). The project will involve 3-5 weeks of fieldwork during summer months annually, primarily in coastal localities and islands, in northern Scotland and northern Norway. The project may also include a combination of analytical, numerical modeling and/or experimental components, with the relative proportions tailored to the student’s interest and the project trajectory. The candidate will report their findings through group meetings, national and international conferences as well as peer-reviewed publications.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
27. Fully Funded PhD Position in Integrated Photonics, Electronic-Photonic Co-Design/ Integration
Summary of PhD Program:
The ETH IDEAS Group, led by Prof. Hua Wang, is a world-leading research group in the field of integrated circuits and systems for next-generation wireless communication, sensing, and various emerging technology applications. Our current and past PhD students regularly publish at flagship conferences and journals and have found carrier opportunities both in top universities and industry. The ETH IDEAS Group is part of the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET).
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
