Application

Eligibility and commitment

You are a PhD student or postdoc at one of the participating institutions (ETH, EPFL, ETH domain research institutes or UniL), with a contract until at least December 2026. If you are not employed by a participating institution and want to participate, contact us as we may offer alternatives as long as the institutional fees are covered.

You are planning to continue your career outside academia, and are thus eager to meet role models from industry and the public sector as well as peers from other institutions.

You commit to participating in the entire program. Since each institution provides financial support for its participants, local selection committees are informed of any absences and reserve the right to charge missed workshops or visits.
The participation fee is CHF 450, including workshops, related materials, and company visits.
Participants are responsible for organizing their own travel to each site and covering the associated expenses.

As CONNECT is an educational program, it may be possible for your research group or lab to cover part or all of the participation fee.

Info event: 28th May 2026
Application window opens: 8th June 2026
Application window closes: 27th July 2026
Selection process: A neutral committee will review all applications of the respective institutions. The evaluation criteria are mainly motivation, expectations and interest in the program
Participants are informed about the results of selection process: end of September 2026
Start of CONNECT Round 8: October 2026
End of CONNECT Round 8: April 2027

To apply, please complete an online form where we collect information about your degree and research topic, current position, institution, language skills, and personal information.
In addition, please upload your CV (max. 2 pages) and a motivation letter (max. 1 page), outlining your career plans and current career situation, and how participation in CONNECT will help your transition to a successful career outside academia.