RobotX PhD Fellowship 2027

ETH Zurich; Schweiz; Vor Ort; CHF 52.000 - 70.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Fully funded PhD position

ETH doctoral salary with full social;

Supervision by RobotX professor

Access to RobotX network across ETH

Start date by agreement in 2027

Public transport benefits and pension

Zusammenfassung

ETH Zürich invites applications for the RobotX PhD Fellowship 2027, a fully funded doctoral position across RobotX research groups. Applicants select up to three professors to work with and are reviewed by them.

The fellowship covers a broad robotics spectrum—from perception to locomotion and human-robot interaction—and focuses on real-world robots, safety, and deployment. Start date in 2027; Master by Aug 2027; strong English required.

Qualifikationen

• Master's degree in mechanical/electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, bioengineering, materials science, or closely related field, completed by August 2027.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to conduct independent research.
• Strong programming skills; experience with robotics software frameworks is a plus.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Aufgaben

• Define your doctoral project together with your supervisor during the first months.
• Pursue research in RobotX topics across ETH Zurich groups and contribute to real-world robotics work.

Kenntnisse

Analytical skills

Programming skills

English proficiency

Ausbildung

Master's degree

Tools

Robotics software frameworks

Jobbeschreibung

Organisation/Company ETH Zürich Research Field Computer science » Other Engineering » Electrical engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 3 Jan 2027 - 22:59 (UTC) Country Switzerland Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

RobotX PhD Fellowship 2027

RobotX, the Center for Robotics at ETH Zurich, is looking for outstanding doctoral students who want to build robots that work in the real world. With the RobotX PhD Fellowship 2027, you apply once and are considered by several RobotX research groups across ETH Zurich. You choose up to three professors you would like to work with, and they review your application.

The research groups of RobotX cover a broad spectrum of robotics, including but not limited to:

• Soft and Musculoskeletal Robotics: bioinspired robots built from compliant materials, artificial muscles, and tendons, for safe and adaptive interaction with an unstructured world.
• Robotic Locomotion and Manipulation: legged robots, robot arms, and hands that move and act reliably in complex terrain and contact-rich tasks.
• Biohybrid Robots: robots built from living cells, engineered tissue, and synthetic materials, actuated by muscle and powered by chemical energy.
• Perception and Computer Vision: 3D reconstruction, object recognition, and scene understanding that give robots reliable perception of their surroundings.
• Human-Robot Interaction: sensory-motor interaction between humans and machines for assistive, rehabilitative, and cooperative tasks.
• Computational Design and Fabrication: simulation, optimization, and learned surrogate models to design and fabricate efficient, bioinspired robots.
• Reinforcement Learning and Machine Learning: data-driven methods that let robots learn new skills and adapt to new tasks and environments.
• Humanoid Robotics and Tactile Sensing for Manipulation: humanoid loco-manipulation, whole-body control, and tactile sensing that let robots reason across touch and vision to handle objects dexterously.
• Motion Planning and Control: algorithms for navigation, control, and decision-making in dynamic environments.
• Safety-Critical Robotic Systems: robots that perform reliably under uncertainty, in particular when they work alongside humans.

You define your doctoral project together with your supervisor during your first months.

Profile

• A Master's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, computer science, robotics, bioengineering, materials science, or a closely related field, completed by August 2027
• An excellent academic record in both your Bachelor's and Master's studies
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the research areas above, ideally a project you carried from idea to a working result on real hardware
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, and the drive to do independent research
• Strong programming skills; experience with robotics software frameworks is a plus
• Excellent written and spoken English

We offer

• A fully funded doctoral position at ETH Zurich, employed at the ETH doctoral salary rate with full social benefits
• Supervision by a RobotX professor and access to the RobotX network of robotics groups across ETH Zurich
• Start date by agreement in 2027
• Your career with impact: Become part of ETH Zurich, which not only supports your professional development, but also actively contributes to positive change in society.
• You can expect numerous benefits , such as public transport season tickets and car sharing, a wide range of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare and attractive pension benefits.

Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich We value diversity and sustainabilityIn line with our values , ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate‑neutral future .Curious? So are we.

Name the PDF with the application date (YYMMDD) and your last and first name. For example, Jane Miller applying on 1 December 2026 names her file 261201_MillerJane_application.pdf.

Further information about RobotX can be found on our website . Questions regarding the fellowship should be directed to Ms. Isabella De Nitti, [e-mail] (no applications).

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

About ETH ZürichETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in
science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education,
cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge
into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our
university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an
environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe,
yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to
develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.