Applicants of any nationality who hold or are pursuing an eligible recognized degree and develop an eligible cyber-defence proof of concept through an approved Swiss research institution, startup or innovation environment.

Rolling proof-of-concept funding supporting entrepreneurial cyber-defence technologies, with eligible projects receiving funding for personnel and development costs over approximately twelve months.

Benefits
Projects may receive up to CHF 130,000 for personnel and development costs directly related to the proof-of-concept work. The normal project duration is approximately 12 months. Fellows also gain access to the Cyber-Defence Campus environment and relevant technical and innovation expertise.

Requirements
Applicants must propose a concrete cyber-defence proof of concept with clear technical objectives and potential practical or commercial impact and satisfy the programme\'s degree and Swiss-host requirements. Required application documents must be submitted in English. The programme uses a staged evaluation process, with applicants selected after the initial stage required to develop the proposal further with the relevant mentoring and host arrangements.

How to apply
Review the current Proof of Concept Fellowship guidelines and submit the initial application through EPFL\'s online research-funding platform. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates invited to the next stage must complete the fuller proposal and associated host or mentor requirements.