Are you holding Master’s degree and looking for fully funded PhD positions? ETH Zurich, Switzerland invites online application for multiple funded PhD Programs / fully funded PhD positions in various research areas.
Candidates interested in fully funded PhD positions can check the details and may apply as soon as possible. Interested and eligible applicants may submit their online application for PhD programs via the University’s Online Application Portal.
1. Fully Funded PhD Position in Optomechanical Quantum Sensing
Summary of PhD Program:
The magnetic resonance force microscope (MRFM) is an ultrasensitive variety of the atomic force microscope (AFM): A nanoscale sample, such as a large biomolecule, is placed on a micromechanical sensor made from silicon nitride. When approaching a tiny ferromagnetic tip to within 10-100 nm from the sample, each nuclear or electronic spin in the sample will feel a magnetic force. Although this force is minute, on the order of 1e-18 N (one attonewton) or below, it leads to a slight mechanical push on the sensor. Through magnetic resonance pulses, the state of the spin can be periodically inverted to generate resonant oscillations of the mechanical sensor that can be precisely measured by laser interferometry.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
2. Fully Funded PhD Position in digital ligand engineering for nanocatalysis
Summary of PhD Program:
Metal and metal oxide clusters and nanoparticles are potent catalysts for many chemical reactions. Their structure and properties can be modulated by organic ligands, that exert influence by both steric and electronic properties. The choice and design of organic ligands therefore offers a promising avenue for fine control of both structure and the reactivity of nanocatalysts through ligand engineering. In this project, we will develop structure-activity relationships and computational ligand engineering algorithms for nanoparticle and nanocluster catalysis, leveraging state-of-the-art methodology from both the heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis fields.
Application Deadline: January 5, 2024
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3. Fully Funded PhD Position in geophysical glaciology
Summary of PhD Program:
This doctorate will focus on using active-source seismology to characterise Crary Ice Rise. Specifically, the doctorate will use seismic imaging of geological structures beneath the ice, and quantitative determination of seismic properties at the ice-bed interface. Seismic imaging will use conventional multichannel seismic methods combining explosive sources with a snow-streamer. Analysis of the ice-bed interface will combine amplitude analysis methods commonly used in the cryosphere with full-waveform inversion techniques. The seismic imaging results will be of direct relevance to the SWAIS2C geological drilling program, helping with interpretation of the recovered core, and placing the record into a wider context.
Application Deadline: January 31st, 2025
4. Fully Funded PhD Position in atmospheric aerosol and solar research
Summary of PhD Program:
Spectral measurements of solar irradiance will be exploited to provide information on aerosol microphysical properties for different dust sources (Sahara, Middle East, Central China). Total-column properties, vertical profiles, aerosol inversion models (GRASP) and other sources of dust mineralogy will provide additional information. Existing measurements (Tenerife, Spain – Saharan dust), Cyprus (Middle East and Saharan) and China and also measurements to be conducted during the project, will be used. Measurements in other relevant locations, based on available aerosol networks will be also exploited.
Application Deadline: 10th of January 2025
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5. Fully Funded PhD Position in Landscape and Urban Studies
Summary of PhD Program:
The doctoral program at the Institute of Landscape and Urban Studies (LUS), ETH Zurich D-ARCH, tackles contemporary challenges in urban and environmental transformation within broader socio-cultural, political-economic, and theoretical contexts. In light of the planetary crises, the program fosters critical discourse and supports independent, innovative, and proactive research aimed at addressing urgent socio-ecological issues.
Application Deadline: 15 March 2025
6. Fully Funded PhD Position in Earthquake Seismology and Hydromechanics
Summary of PhD Program:
The Bedretto Underground Laboratory for Geosciences and Geoenergies (“BedrettoLab”) is a unique research facility of ETH Zurich that allows studying earthquake physics, hydromechanics and deep geothermal energy under in-situ conditions. In the context of a global flagship project in earthquake seismology – the Fault Activation and Earthquake Rupture (FEAR) project – we are working to induce and study earthquakes with magnitudes of ~1.0 on a natural Alpine fault zone. The BedrettoLab provides direct access to the target fault zone at a depth of ~1km, such that we can place monitoring equipment directly on and around the fault zone.
Application Deadline: 20 January 2025
7. Fully Funded PhD Position in Urban soundscape modelling and auralization for optimal design of modal shift and Nature-based Solutions
Summary of PhD Program:
The doctoral candidate will work in the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) project «CoCoNet – Co-creative Cohabitation Network» that aims at developing an integrated model-supported planning approach to facilitate the dialogue between different stakeholders for co-creating urban development solutions. The focus is laid on restructuring and redistributing urban streetscape at the district level and concentrates on combining mobility measures with Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The project wants to highlight spatial potentials using integrated modeling of mobility, noise dissemination, climate adaptation and biodiversity.
Application Deadline: 5. January 2025
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8. Fully Funded PhD Position in Embedded Systems & Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Ranging
Summary of PhD Program:
The project focuses on developing cutting-edge embedded systems that integrate UWB and motion sensors for high-accuracy ranging, tracking, and communication. You will work on custom PCBs, firmware development, and the seamless connection of MCUs with various sensors. You will also develop learning-based pipelines for state, position, and motion estimation. The project will contribute to advancements in localization and robotics applications.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
9. Fully Funded PhD Position in Sustainable Networking
Summary of PhD Program:
The Networked Systems Group is a research group in the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (D-ITET) at ETH Zürich led by Prof. Laurent Vanbever. Our group is developing a team led by Dr. Romain Jacob, focusing on sustainable networking. Today’s Internet, and more generally communication networks, are responsible for a large and quickly increasing share of the world’s carbon footprint. The current trend of ever-increasing capacity deployment and bandwidth demand is incompatible with the emission reduction targets that we must collectively achieve.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
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10. Fully Funded PhD Position in multi-material additive manufacturing: manufacturability, microstructure and mechanical properties
Summary of PhD Program:
This PhD thesis is part of the FASTE (Fabrication Additive des Structures performantes multi-maTériaux pour utilisation en Environnement sévère) project, funded by the 2024 Lopez-Loreta foundation prize. FASTE, a collaboration between ISAE SUPAERO and ETH Zürich, aims to produce and characterize multi-material parts using LPBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion), DED (Direct Energy Deposition), and WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) technologies. The project encompasses manufacturing methodologies, mechanical behavior characterization, and modeling under complex loads, focusing on multi-material parts.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
11. 02 Fully Funded PhD Position in History and Theory of Architecture
Summary of PhD Program:
This program focuses on the history and theory of architecture and urbanism in a wider context of cultural history, including the history and theory of art, science and technology. Conduct original doctoral research on an individually determined topic within the history and theory of architecture and urbanism. The fellowship places no restriction on the geography or time period of the proposed research project. The doctoral fellowships are funded for three years (100%, ETH Standard Rate) with the possibility of renewal for one additional year.
Application Deadline: 15 February 2025
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12. Fully Funded PhD Position in Decarbonizing the Future of the Chemical Industry
Summary of PhD Program:
The work will be carried out in an interdisciplinary team at the Ecological Systems Design Group. The primary objective of this doctoral project is to define and assess transition pathways for sustainable chemical supply chains on a global scale. The project aims to develop a comprehensive framework that integrates site-level data with industry-wide models to evaluate both current and future chemical production processes. Your work will involve setting up a database of global chemical production sites, focusing on production amounts, energy use, and regionalized environmental impacts. You will utilize existing high-quality data sources, commercial databases, and machine-learning-augmented life cycle assessment (LCA) tools to generate energy and mass balances for key production processes.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
13. Fully Funded PhD Position in Automated thermodynamics lab for molecular and process design
Summary of PhD Program:
The Energy and Process Systems Engineering (EPSE) Group at ETH Zürich is looking for a doctoral student to work experimentally on thermophysical property data of fluids. The EPSE group at ETH Zurich, led by Prof. Dr. André Bardow, is dedicated to advancing sustainable energy and chemical process systems. Our research spans from the molecular level to the scale of systems. We develop methods to advance sustainable energy and chemical process systems from the molecular to the scale of the systems. Our work combines computer-aided molecular and process design to optimize molecules and processes simultaneously.
Application Deadline: January 11, 2025
14. Fully Funded PhD Position in Sustainable Biogenic Carbon Pathways
Summary of PhD Program:
This PhD position is contributing to several projects in the field of sustainable biomass utilization for energy and negative emission potential. The primary aim is to e.g. evaluate the potential of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) from Swiss biogas plants. Additionally, the PhD project will explore innovative pathways and technologies for enhancing the sustainability of biogenic carbon value chains, focusing on their environmental impacts.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
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15. Fully Funded PhD Position in Digital Construction Archive
Summary of PhD Program:
The radical turn from industrial to digital design and production has led to a paradigm shift in architecture, and it impacts the possibilities to preserve the resulting objects as much as its construction and design. Knowledge about building materials, construction techniques and production processes are currently being transferred into the digital realm. But how are buildings to be maintained or upgraded if digital data becomes lost, if no or only rudimentary information concerning material or construction is available, or if this information can hardly any longer be gathered using the methods of traditional building research?
Application Deadline: January 3rd, 2025
16. Fully Funded PhD Position in Geochemistry of Enhanced Rock Weathering
Summary of PhD Program:
The advertised position is part of a multidisciplinary ETH-funded project that is motivated by the urgent need for scalable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions—in addition to emissions reductions—to limit global warming to below 2°C. We will fill these gaps by providing a holistic quantification of CO₂ removal and addressing poorly constrained environmental consequences on biogeochemical cycles in agroecosystems. We will utilize a shared greenhouse experimental setup to assess the impact of ERW on a variety of contrasting (tropical and non-tropical) soils.
Application Deadline: 31.01.2025
17. Fully Funded PhD Position in Soil Biogeochemistry of Enhanced Rock Weathering
Summary of PhD Program:
The advertised position is part of a multidisciplinary ETH-funded project that is motivated by the urgent need for scalable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions—in addition to emissions reductions—to limit global warming to below 2°C. We will fill these gaps by providing a holistic quantification of CO₂ removal and addressing poorly constrained environmental consequences on biogeochemical cycles in agroecosystems. We will utilize a shared greenhouse experimental setup to assess the impact of ERW on a variety of contrasting (tropical and non-tropical) soils.
Application Deadline: 31.01.2025
18. Fully Funded PhD Position in THz dynamics of quantum materials
Summary of PhD Program:
The aim of this project is to investigate ultrafast dynamics of quantum materials, with a focus on the THz frequency range. Our goal is to investigate the dynamical response of the system once it is brought out of equilibrium following excitation by an ultrashort pulse of optical or THz light. The knowledge acquired from this study will enable a better control of the properties of quantum materials and will inform theory developments that seek to model ultrafast material responses. This project will be based in Prof. Elsa Abreu’s Quantum Material Dynamics group at ETH Zürich, in the Institute for Quantum Electronics.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
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19. Fully Funded PhD Position in Soil Biogeochemical Dynamics of Alpine Catchments
Summary of PhD Program:
Mountain regions are hotspots of contemporary environmental change where the interactions between climate, parent material, topography, and biota create key ecosystem services related to the cycling and storage of carbon in soil. Yet, our ability to quantify and predict soil carbon stocks and lateral fluxes across such highly heterogeneous landscapes is still limited. By integrating field monitoring, soil biogeochemical analysis, and numerical modeling of coupled ecohydrological and geomorphological processes, we will evaluate the dynamics of lateral soil carbon redistribution across environmentally complex and geochemically distinct landscapes.
Application Deadline: 15.02.2025
20. Fully Funded PhD Position in Systems and Hardware Security
Summary of PhD Program:
We are interested in a variety of hot topics in the area of systems security with a special focus on hardware. The aim of the group is improving the security of modern computer systems. To do that, we often build novel analysis techniques to uncover previously-unknown attack surfaces and when appropriate we design and implement new systems to protect against various classes of attacks. This means that the group does heavy technical work, from building low-level systems to analyzing hardware components. Examples of our research topics include hardware design security, microarchitectural security, and operating system security to name a few.
