Austrian Research and Technology Report 2020

1.4 Strategic measures, initiatives and 
further developments
Key structural developments such as the main points 
of the draft Research Funding Act and the steps to-
wards a new RTI strategy are set out below along-
side a brief status report on selected sub-strategies 
and current developments in the higher education 
sector. The timetable for other future developments 
will also be dependent on the progression and im-
pact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
1.4.1 Review process for the Research Funding 
Act
A public review of the Research Funding Act (at the 
time it was called the “Research Framework Act”, 
(Forschungsrahmengesetz), and was part of the 2019 
amendment of the research framework) was carried 
out in autumn 2019, with many from the RTI commu-
nity contributing. The key observations and criticisms 
from stakeholders were taken into consideration and 
incorporated into the draft 
Research Funding Act 
(FoFinaG)
, which thus contains the following ele-
ments:
1. Central research institutions and research 
funding institutions
The Austrian system of research and research funding 
institutions is currently highly diverse. A select few 
are largely funded from the federal budget and have 
particular ties to the federal government; for this rea-
son, the FoFinaG defines them as central research 
and research funding institutions and gives them a 
key role in implementing the RTI strategy in line with 
their responsibilities and statutory mandate. 
2. The RTI Pact
With the RTI Pact, the federal government stipulates, 
in particular, the strategic priorities for its perfor-
mance and financing agreements with the central 
research and research funding institutions every 
three years in accordance with their responsibilities. 

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