EPFL Excellence in Engineering (E3) Internship Program 2026

The E3 Program is an intensive summer research experience designed for talented students aiming for research-oriented careers or future PhD studies.

This prestigious opportunity offers BSc and MSc students from around the world the chance to experience cutting-edge research in engineering, science, and technology at EPFL’s renowned laboratories in Switzerland. Over 8 to 12 weeks during the summer months, participants join one of over 100 EPFL research laboratories and contribute to ongoing projects across diverse fields, from artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to sustainability, robotics, bioengineering, and quantum computing.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply for the E3 program, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (students in PhD programs are not eligible).
• Have completed at least the second year of a Bachelor’s degree by the time of application.
• Be pursuing studies in engineering, science, or technology fields.
• Maintain strong academic performance (top 10% of class preferred) and a clear motivation for research.

Students from the following partner institutions are not eligible for E3 and should apply to the EPFL Excellence Research Internship Program instead:

USA: Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, UC San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Canada: McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo
Singapore: Nanyang Technological University (NTU)

Benefits

Accepted students will receive 

• A monthly living allowance of 1800 CHF per month to cover their housing and living expenses;
• Travel costs will be refunded on request, upon approval by the host lab;
• And costs related to the visa request might be partially covered.

Application Process

Applications for the E3 Summer 2026 cohort are now open and will close on November 1, 2025, at 23:55 Anywhere on Earth (AoE time zone).

Required documents (in PDF format only):

1. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
2. Complete academic transcripts (Bachelor and Master; include originals and translations if not in English/French)
3. Statement of Purpose (Research Statement or Motivation Letter) — no strict limit, but 2 pages recommended
4. Scan of passport or national ID

Optional: Recommendation letters and language certificates may be uploaded as additional attachments but are not mandatory.

In the application form, candidates must indicate:

• Up to three preferred research domains from EPFL’s extensive list (e.g., Artificial Intelligence, Photonics, Robotics, etc.)
• Optionally, up to three preferred host laboratories from the E3 hosting lab database.

Check out the list of participating labs by visiting here

Selection Criteria

E3 is a highly competitive program. After the application deadline, host labs review submissions and may invite candidates for online interviews between late November and early March.

Selection is based on:

• Academic excellence and GPA ranking
• Research potential and motivation
• Quality of the statement of purpose
• Alignment with chosen research domains and host labs.