Research Groups

Teams of 3 to 5 scientists working on complex research questions or developing new ones and pursuing interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approaches, independent of location – the FWF's Research Groups funding program supports research cooperation within Austria. Research institutions give funded consortia the opportunity to pool their expertise, focus on a research question across multiple sites, and pursue inter- or multidisciplinary approaches.

Target group

The program is aimed at  teams of 3 to 5 internationally outstanding researchers from all scientific disciplines, in particular from the humanities, social sciences, and cultural sciences, working at Austrian research institutions.

Funding goals

Research Group funding is mainly intended to support joint multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary projects conducted by outstanding researchers. Research Groups establish research on an innovative topic in Austria for the first time or expand or supplement existing key research focuses at research institutions.

Funding period and funding amount

Up to €1.5 million for 5 years

Prerequisites

  • Consortium of 3 to 5 active researchers with outstanding research records by FWF standards
  • A target of 30% of the underrepresented gender in the consortium; the composition of the consortium is one of the deciding factors in the review and evaluation process.
  • For further details, please see the application guidelines.

Approval

  • Decision by the Scientific Board based on international peer review
  • Decision on pre-proposal in the spring of the year following submission
  • If the pre-proposal is approved, applicants are invited to submit a full proposal.
  • Funding decision on full proposals usually made at the last Scientific Board meeting of the same year

Funding institution

Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (financed with funds from the Fonds Zukunft Österreich)

Submissions

Apr. 15, 2024 to Sep. 30, 2024 (02:00 pm Vienna local time)

Inquiries and contact

Dr.in Sabine Haubenwallner
sabine.haubenwallner(at)fwf.ac.at
+43 676 83487 8603

Application portal