CYD Proof of Concept Fellowships

CYD Fellowships are designed to promote new solutions to major challenges in the fields of security and data science. Cyber-threats have been accelerating in recent years due to the exponential growth of network connectivity.

More in particular, CYD Proof of Concept Fellowships aim to support applied research leading towards an innovative product or service with the intention of making a real impact on Swiss cyber-defence and evaluating the potential for commercialization of such products or services.

The CYD proof of concept funding is open to applicants pursuing or holding bachelor, master or doctoral degrees recognized in Switzerland, who are willing to engage with issues cutting across the frontiers of cyber-security and data science.

CYD proof of concept fellows are hosted by an academic host institution which must be a higher education research center in Switzerland (hereafter referred to as “Institution”) or by their own startup, and they must conduct their project at the CYD Campus located on the premises of EPFL and ETHZ and at the CYD head office in Thun.

Mission

• CYD Proof of Concept Fellowships are open to applicants who want to become entrepreneurs in the field of cyber-defence.
• Projects must include an innovation in at least one of the following areas of cyber-defence:
  • Protection of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of cyber and cyber-physical systems.
  • Information sharing, data fusion and crowdsourcing.
  • Data science & AI methods for analysing cyber- and technology-relevant data.
  • Security, privacy and digital trust technologies.

Funding Information

• A maximum amount of CHF 130’000 can be requested per application. In justified cases, the CYD proof of concept projects may be exceptionally extended on case by case basis by a maximum of six months with an additional funding request of maximum CHF 65’000 – but only for those CYD Fellows hosted by a higher education research center (and not at a startup nor the Fondation pour l’EPFL Innovation Park).
• CYD Proof of Concept Fellowships are awarded for a duration of 12 months and proposed projects should deliver a proof of concept at the conclusion of the award period.

Eligibility Criteria

• Citizens of any nationality may apply for the CYD proof of concept Fellowship.
• No age restrictions apply.
• The CYD proof of concept Fellowship applications must be submitted by a single applicant (principal investigator) who will be personally responsible for the approved project.
• Applicants must be employed at a Swiss higher education research centre such as an university, a federal institute of technology or a university of applied sciences or at their own startup based in Switzerland.
• If the applicant is independent from an academic host institution or a startup, s/he has the option to be hosted by the “Fondation pour l’EPFL Innovation Park” (FEIP).
• The applicant must hold a valid Swiss work permit (B or C) or be a Swiss national at the time of the submission.
• Applicants must provide proof that they will be employed and have the support of an academic host institution, a startup or the FEIP for the entire duration of the proposed project.
• Applicants must fit into one of the following three categories:
  • Applicants who have obtained a Bachelor or a Master degree that is recognized in Switzerland, whereby the degree of the last title acquired was received no more than 5 years before the day of submission of the CYD proof of concept Fellowship application.
  • Applicants who are currently pursuing a Bachelor, Master or doctoral degree recognized in Switzerland, where the date of the thesis defence is no later than 6 months after the day of the CYD proof of concept Fellowship application submission.
  • Applicants have obtained a doctoral degree that is recognized in Switzerland, whereby the degree was received no more than 5 years before the day of the submission of the CYD proof of concept Fellowship application.

For more information, visit EPFL.