The Mertz Fellowship – a partnership between the Embassy of Switzerland in Australia, Swissnex, Swiss Polar Institute, and the Antarctic Science Foundation – supports joint projects and scientific networking between Swiss and Australian higher education and research institutions. This programme for early-career researchers focuses on fostering cutting-edge research and strengthening collaboration between two nations in polar and high-altitude science.
Two AUD 11,000 grants are made available per year. The fellowship grant can be used toward travel and costs of living (including accommodation) in order to reach the project objectives. Any PhD student or early-career researcher (maximum 5 years after the PhD award at the time of the proposal submission) based in Switzerland or in Australia is welcome to apply.
The deadline for submission is 26 October 2026, 23:00 CET
The details about the eligibility, the evaluation criteria, the submission process and the application form can be found on this webpage.
Header photograph: Mertz on the ice cliff © Frank Hurley, 1912 /Wikimedia – Public Domain, State Library of South Wales