Since 2019, the FWF has been gradually switching the administration of its funding programs to the new PROFI mode. This change is intended to make the funding process easier for researchers and their institutions while ensuring autonomy in the application process. In March 2023, the FWF will now also be switching its largest program, Stand-Alone Project funding, to PROFI.
Since 2020, the alpha+ Foundation and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) have been supporting internationally active researchers with the privately financed Rückenwind funding bonus. Thanks to the support of new private donors, the Rückenwind Initiative is now open to all scientific disciplines.
The FWF has been a strong advocate for open access to scientific knowledge for many years. To further increase its support in this area, starting in 2023, the FWF will be the first research funding agency to support the Austrian-developed online platform Open Knowledge Maps, the world's largest visual search engine for research outputs.
In the last FWF Board meeting of 2022, the FWF put 119 projects on track for about €72.6 million, selected from an application volume of about €370 million. Projects were approved in Special Research Areas, Research Groups, ESPRIT, doc.funds and doc.funds.connect, and the Science Communication program, among other programs.
More basic knowledge on the influence of climate change on genetic adaptation and on the historical analysis of political power structures - the FWF is strengthening cutting-edge research in Austria with two new Special Research Areas based on international standards. The new networks, coordinated by researchers from the Academy of Sciences and the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, will each receive funding of around €4 million over a period of four years.
Mehr Karriereangebote für Doktorand:innen, um in vielversprechenden Forschungsfeldern Fuß fassen zu können – die doc.funds- und doc.funds.connect- Förderungen stärken die Doktoratsausbildung an Universitäten und Fachhochschulen. In der jüngsten Bewilligungsrunde konnten die Konzepte von neun Forschungsteams überzeugen, der FWF investiert 13 Millionen Euro in 64 neue Doktoratsstellen in ganz Österreich.
If you think research is just for scientists, you couldn’t be more wrong. For amateurs, or "Citizen Scientists," there is a lot of work to be done. At the beginning of October, the FWF approved four new Top Citizen Science projects. Citizens are actively encouraged to participate. It’s a win-win situation for both science and society.
The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) will be supporting universities and non-academic research institutions in this tight financial situation by providing funding for the sharply rising wage costs for ongoing projects in 2023. In return, however, approximately €15 million less will be available next year for funding new projects.
AI Mission Austria, a new funding initiative by aws, FFG, and FWF, is supporting the development of AI as a key technology, from research to implementation. Funding for the initiative has been provided by Fonds Zukunft Österreich, and the FWF has been allotted a funding volume of €1.9 million for AI Mission Austria projects. Applications can be submitted under several programmes starting 3 November 2022.
Funding work published on an open-access basis has been part of the FWF portfolio for many years. Researchers from all scientific disciplines can apply for funding for their book publications and digital publications. The FWF also supports the establishment and modernisation of academic journals with the aim of meeting the minimum open-access requirements of Plan S of the cOAlition S. October has brought some changes to the funding programme, which also result in a faster decision-making process.
The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) has joined the Europe-wide Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA). The Coalition’s objective is to establish new guidelines in research assessment, working in cooperation with numerous scientific organisations. Shifting the focus more towards qualitative aspects makes it possible to take the wide diversity of scientific methods and approaches into account. The FWF has been taking this approach for years.
Financial expert Susanne Müller-Taborsky has joined the board of directors of the non-profit alpha+ Foundation and wants to advocate for more philanthropy in science.
The opportunity to attend more international conferences and workshops - with a Rückenwind funding bonus, private partners support the academic careers of young researchers. Since 2020, this has helped 18 researchers expand their international networks. Now, the alpha+ Foundation's Rückenwind initiative has gained a new partner: law firm Binder Grösswang.
