The Research Service Center team supports WU’s academic staff in acquiring third-party funding for research projects. In a research context, third-party funding is money obtained from sources other than the government budget set aside for universities. Third-party funding is generally earmarked for specific research activities (research projects etc.).

There is broad range of opportunities for WU researchers to acquire third-party funding for research projects. The list below only provides an overview of the most commonly used funding opportunities. For more comprehensive information, please see the  WU research funding database.

The Research Service Center team is available if you need information or advice on the various funding opportunities. Please also note the page on application and project management processes and the third-party funding pages provided by the Financial Control office.

National research funding

• Small-scale research projects by WU early-stage researchers: Small-scale projects by junior faculty (max. € 5,000)

• Small to medium-scale research projects with a focus on Central Europe: FESTO Fellow (€ 15,000 of project funding, € 5,000 bonus)

• Small to medium-scale research projects with a focus on the CEE region:  Erste Bank Award for Research on Central and Eastern Europe  (€ 15,000 for project funding, € 5,000 bonus)

• Small to medium-scale research projects related to Vienna:  WU Anniversary Fund of the City of Vienna (max. € 20,000)

• Small to medium-scale research projects, preferably related to Vienna: University Anniversary Foundation of the City of Vienna (max. € 20,000)

• High-quality basic research projects: FWF stand-alone projects (on average € 90,000)

• cooperation projects between internationally outstanding young researchers in all scientific disciplines: FWF Young Independent Researcher Groups (max. € 500,000)

• High-quality basic research projects: OeNB Anniversary Fund projects  (max. € 110,000, up to € 200,000 for projects on priority topics)

• Grants for research projects on pre-defined priority topics: WWTF (€ 100,000 to 300,000)

• Grants for projects at the interface between basic and applied research:  FFG-BRIDGE (variable amounts)

International research funding

• Horizon 2020 is the EU’s framework program for promoting research and innovation in the period from 2014 to 2020. It provides grants for various types of projects, from basic research to product development, and has a total budget of approx. € 75bn. Grants are awarded to European projects focusing on various (mostly pre-defined) topics and research areas, spanning all disciplines. All current calls are available through the  EU Commission’s Participant Portal. For comprehensive information on project types, the application process, and project management, please see the Research Service Center’s EU Wiki SharePoint page.

• As part of Horizon 2020, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions provide European mobility grants to researchers. One of the main goals is to support researchers’ academic and professional development. Funding is available e.g. for individual fellowships, secondments for academic staff, and innovative training networks. For further information, please see the  European Commission website.

• Erasmus+ is the European framework program for education and training, youth, and sports. In addition to the popular mobility grants for students and university staff, Erasmus+ also offers funding for various projects on education-related topics. For a concise overview of Erasmus+ grants relevant to universities, please see the Research Service Center’s EU-Wiki SharePoint page. More comprehensive information is available on the OeAD website.

• For an overview of other relevant funding programs, please see the Research Service Center’s EU Wiki SharePoint page.