Excellence Research Internship Program | Apply Now

Internships

Added on November 23, 2025

Switzerland

Host Country : Switzerland

Deadline: November 30, 2025

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Excellence Research Internship Program | Apply Now

Duration : 3 Months

Mode: In-person

Organization : École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland.

Eligible Countries :

Students enrolled at ERIP partner universities in Canada, the United States, and Singapore

Program Overview!

Want hands-on research at a top European technical school this summer? EPFL’s Excellence Research Internship Program (ERIP) places high-performing undergraduates and master’s students into real labs for a focused research stay, usually three months long. You get supervised lab work, access to world-class equipment, and a monthly living allowance to help with housing in Lausanne. The program is aimed at students from partner universities in North America and Singapore who are in the top 10% of their class and are officially nominated by their home school.

Ready for a strong research boost on your CV? Apply to EPFL’s Excellence Research Internship Program — 3-month on-site lab internships, CHF 1,800/month scholarship, free campus support and access to leading labs. Open to students from partner universities in North America and Singapore. Applications open Oct 1, 2025. Deadline: Nov 30, 2025. Apply now and pick your top three labs! #EPFL #Internship #Research #StudyAbroad

EPFL is a leading Swiss science and technology university on the shores of Lake Geneva. It hosts about 500 research groups across engineering, basic sciences, life sciences, architecture and more, and publishes widely in high-impact journals. The school puts strong emphasis on hands-on research, industry links and international exchange. EPFL runs the Excellence Research Internship Program to give top students from partner universities a supervised lab experience within EPFL groups, plus practical support for living and settling in Lausanne.

The Excellence Research Internship Program offers in-person lab internships aimed at students who have completed at least the second year of a bachelor’s degree or who are master’s students. EPFL accepts excellent candidates (typically top 10% of their class) nominated by their home university’s international/exchange office. Interns work under faculty and lab supervision on ongoing research projects, join lab meetings and are integrated into the research life of EPFL while learning new methods and building contacts in Europe. Internships normally fit into the student’s study plan and can be used as curricular projects.

Benefits:

Monthly scholarship: CHF 1,800/month (pro rata) as a living allowance to help with housing and day-to-day costs (the scholarship applies to the in-person period and is capped at 3 months).
Tuition/exchange arrangements: Internships are part of the home university curriculum; EPFL interns enjoy an exclusive student status.
Campus services: Help from the EPFL Housing Office, discounts on meals and activities, free access to EPFL sports center, and organized social opportunities to meet students.
Research access: Work in world-class labs, use state-of-the-art facilities, and receive mentorship from EPFL faculty and senior researchers.

Eligibility Criteria

Be enrolled as a regular student at a partner university and be nominated by your home institution’s international/exchange office (exceptions apply for some partner schools).
Be at least in your 2nd year of Bachelor’s or be a Master’s student at the time the internship begins. 1st-year undergraduates are not eligible.
Academic excellence (typically within the top 10% of your cohort).
Applicants must choose three EPFL laboratories in their application and explain the fit between their profile and each lab. Lab placement depends on lab availability and fit.

Application Process

Get nominated. Contact your home university’s Study Abroad / International Office and request nomination (McGill and University of Toronto have a slightly different nomination timing procedure — check the ERIP page).
Prepare documents. You will upload: CV, motivation letter (max 800 words), official transcripts (or unofficial if final documents are not ready), scan of passport, contact details for two referees, and names of three preferred EPFL labs with the lab head’s name.
Submit application via the ERIP portal when applications open (for Summer 2026 the portal opens Oct 1, 2025). Incomplete or late submissions are not considered.
References. After submission, reference requests are sent automatically to your referees — they have about one week to upload their letters. Monitor the application portal to ensure letters arrive on time.
Selection steps. The central admissions committee preselects candidates and notifies preselected applicants by the end of December; labs then make final recruitment decisions and may interview candidates. Final acceptance is communicated by email.
Visa & arrival. If selected, follow EPFL guidance for visa and enrollment; EPFL’s student status helps simplify visa/residence procedures.

About Excellence Research Internship Program