The scienfific communities that correspond to the various subjects and disciplines represented at WU determine which kind of expertise is needed, what excellence in research means, and how it can be identified. The structure and organization of WU’s departments and its research institutes and competence centers reflect the university’s focus areas in research. The departments also represent WU in the respective scientific communities, and they serve as points of contact for businesses and practitioners, and act as centers of research-led teaching at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral/PhD levels.

To foster excellence (goal 2 of Austria’s Research, Technology, and Innovation Strategy 2030 [FTI 2030]), WU continuously develops its research support activities and know-how and particularly supports its junior researchers (GUEP implementation objective 4a). This is, for instance, realized by recognizing outstanding achievements in research (bonuses for publications and thirdparty-funded projects), regularly updating WU’s modern research infrastructure, and research grants. As an international university,

WU is working, as far as its budget permits, to promote the international mobility of all of its researchers and to provide a highly attractive environment for academic exchange for international guests

All departments, competence centers, and research institutes participate in a dynamic research evaluation process designed to ensure long-term success. The results of these evaluation procedures provide valuable feedback for WU’s research units and the Rector’s Council, especially when it comes to assessing the success of measures intended to promote research. Research output is evaluated against the standards of the respective – in most cases international – scientific community. This means that an external perspective is adopted. WU itself does not set the standards applied.

The research performance of the academic units is mainly evaluated based on the following indicators, which may be weighted differently for each unit and are specified as part of the target agreements concluded with academic units:

• › Active participation in the academic discourse (e.g. through conferences, research seminars, and cooperations)

• › Relevance of the research findings produced (e.g. publication output and the scientific and social impact of the publications)

• Third-party funds acquired as an advance indicator for future research insights and impact

• › Dissemination of research findings (e.g. presence in the media, events involving practitioners, collaborations with practitioners, relevance of the research for courses taught at WU)

• › Training of early-stage researchers (e.g. type and intensity of activities for supporting early-stage researchers, alumni career trajectories after graduation)

WU’s research profile comprises key research areas and research highlights. Excellence, autonomy, and integrity play key roles in both areas, which, however, differ with regard to their respective roles. As one of Europe’s largest universities of business and economics, WU’s activities reflect the great diversity of research topics in the field. This can be seen in WU’s key research areas, which are shaped by and reflect the research focuses of the various departments. WU’s research highlights, on the other hand, are research areas which attract a lot of international attention and which are determined in a set process independent of the departments’ input.

WU’s departments are intimately familiar with the state of the art in their respective scientific communities; they ensure close links between research and teaching and in so doing represent the key research areas underlying WU’s organizational structure as defined in the Organizational Structure Plan.