Senior Scientists

There are various agencies that provide funding for research projects. Such funding usually covers personnel, travelling and material costs.

Since the requirements of the different agencies vary greatly, you are advised to keep in mind the aims of your project when selecting a funding agency for application, and to check to what extent the agency’s aim in providing funding is related to the aims of your research project. Careful consideration of the conditions imposed by the funding agency to which you have decided to apply is essential


  • Budget planning and overhead

When planning a project and drawing up a budget, it is very important to ensure that the direct project costs will be covered. Please take into account the relevant rules and provisions concerning overhead costs.

  • Project/basic research

In basic research projects, the scientist is usually entirely free in his or her choice of subject (or at least free within a certain pre-determined field); such research is not primarily aimed at immediately applicable results. Research funds are often granted as a result of a “peer review” procedure. Some important examples of this are the ERC Funding Programmes, Programmes of the FWF and the WWTF.

You will find information concerning the differences in implementation and application between the various procedures under “External funding support services“ (Drittmittelservices).


  • Projects/applied research

Cooperative/application-oriented research projects initiated by industrial enterprises or outside principals (ministries, etc.) usually focus on questions that require cross-sector collaboration with partners and/or that are of particular importance to the funding entity.

In Austria, the most important examples of this are the Basis programmes of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), various ministries and enterprises; internationally, the grants provided under the EU Framework Programme Horizon Europe. In connection with such projects, it is of paramount importance to ensure that the relevant consortium agreements provide a clearly defined advance agreement concerning eventual exploitation rights (this should be discussed at the earliest possible date, i.e., if possible, already during the project design phase). During planning and budgeting, suitable prices for research work should be determined. The provisions regarding signatures in the contract also apply, mutatis mutandis, to the submission of offers (for more details, see  “External funding support services“ (Drittmittelservices).

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