Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

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. The objective is to provide additional support for those re-
searchers who are able to succeed at the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) with the help of new private 
sponsors. The Foundation began its fundraising activities as of late 2019. In terms of existing Austrian 
Science Fund (FWF) collaborations with private partners, funds amounting to approximately €1 million 
were also awarded from the Dr Gottfried and Dr Vera Weiss Science Foundation, the Internet Private Foun-
dation Austria and the Herzfelder’sche Familienstiftung (Herzfelder Family Foundation) to excellent re-
searchers in 2019.
Outlook for the coming years
One essential component of the gradual reforms of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) portfolio is to ad-
vance career programmes that aim to consolidate more female researchers at research institutions and 
create fair conditions for all applicants. The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) organised an intensive consulta-
tion process in order to ensure that the views, expert opinions and recommendations of relevant stake-
holders were taken into account in subsequent planning stages. Rounds of consultations were launched 
with several stakeholder groups in the spring of 2019. A total of four groups were involved: the represen-
tatives of the Assembly of Delegates, the Board of Trustees, the Richter Network and the Young Academy, 
as well as a group of experts on gender equality issues. The results and recommendations for the realign-

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2. Key Players in Research Funding and in Non-university Research 
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ment of future Austrian Science Fund (FWF) career programmes were submitted to the FWF Executive 
Board in mid-December.
Realignment of the career programmes provides for the following two measures: on the one hand, the 
plan is to merge the Lise Meitner Programme with the Hertha Firnberg Programme to create a new early 
stage programme. There are also plans to harmonise the Elise Richter and the START Programme as part 
of a new Advanced Stage Programme. The reduction of the programmes to the two levels Early Stage and 
Advanced Stage is intended to ensure equal opportunities and equal prestige for excellent women re-
searchers over the long term at different stages of their careers. 
After the consultations were completed the basic principles of the new Early Stage Programme were 
endorsed in full. The key points include the option for ongoing submissions, needs-based funding amounts, 
the expansion of mentoring for women and equal allocation of funds (50% of the funds are reserved for 
women). The new programme and the accompanying measures are intended to give women researchers a 
fixed and sustainable place in cutting edge research. The discussion process also showed that the next 
major step towards the sustainable advancement of women must be taken under the joint responsibility 
of the Ministry, research facilities and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). 
The Executive Board of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) extended the planning stage and consultation 
process for reforming the Advanced Stage Programme. The aim remains the same: to take specific steps 
to retain more women researchers even more effectively and more sustainably in cutting edge research.
Annual increases in the funding budget of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) (in 2020: €270 million) will 
ensure planning certainty, increase the efficiency of investments and enhance confidence in Austria as a 
location, therefore helping it to remain competitive internationally. Outstanding basic research is only 
possible on a long-term basis and requires sustainable funding, which is reflected in a guarantee covering 
multiple years. This is particularly important against the background of the consistently high number of 
projects in recent years that could not receive funding despite excellent ratings by international experts 
(approved but not funded, funding volume lacking in 2019: approx. €60 million).
One excellence initiative in accordance with international standards is to further intensify cutting edge 
research and cooperation between fields and institutions, bringing Austria noticeably closer to the world’s 
best science and innovation nations. Such an excellence initiative would invigorate the competitive cul-
ture, promote cooperation and create a dynamic research environment for all fields which would also at-
tract top international researchers and offer long-term career prospects to early stage researchers. 
Since April 2020 the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) has also been supporting “urgent funding for re-
search into humanitarian crises such as epidemics and pandemics” and “Urgent Funding SARS-CoV-2” (see 
https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/news-and-media-relations/news/detail/nid/20200316-2495/).

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