FAQ about the Lise Meitner Program

Are there deadlines for applications?

When does the application come before the FWF Board? When can I expect a decision?

Would the FWF like the applicant to send a list of suggested referees?

Is is possible to exclude certain persons from the review procedure because of competition or a scientific difference of opinion?

Should the attachments also be submitted in English?

What happens after an application has been submitted? Who reviews it? Who decides whether to fund the proposal?

Are there quotas for scientific disciplines?

Can I submit a proposal before I have completed my PhD?

Is it a requirement that the foreign scientist be able to speak German?

Does the FWF help establish contacts to Austrian scientists?

Who should submit the application: the foreign applicant or the Austrian co-applicant?

If the foreign scientist is already in Austria, can he or she still apply for a Lise Meitner position?

Can / should a Lise Meitner position be used to strengthen an existing cooperation between an applicant and a co-applicant?

May I submit further letters of recommendation?

What is the salary of a Lise Meitner-Postdoc-Position?

Does the application have to contain a financial plan?

What happens if my application is rejected?

What do I need to know about taxation in Austria?

Are there deadlines for applications?
No, an application may be submitted at any time.
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When does the application come before the FWF Board? When can I expect a decision?
The processing time is on average three to four months. The application will come before the FWF Board once the review procedure is complete. How long this takes is different for different applications. It is recommended to submit an application at least six months before the planned start of the project.
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Would the FWF like the applicant to send a list of suggested referees?
The possibility of the nomination of referees was cancelled after negative experiences by the FWF, lists of suggested referees will therefore not be considered.
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Is is possible to exclude certain persons from the review procedure because of competition or a scientific difference of opinion?
Yes but only very few.
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Should the attachments also be submitted in English?
Yes.
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What happens after an application has been submitted? Who reviews it? Who decides whether to fund the proposal?
The Information on Review Process and Working Procedures of the FWF (PDF Download) provides details on all steps from submission to decision.
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Are there quotas for scientific disciplines?
No. The FWF does not operate a quota system and applications from all scientific disciplines compete freely with one another.
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Can I submit a proposal before I have completed my PhD?
No. At the time of the application all the formal criteria must be met.
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Is it a requirement that the foreign scientist be able to speak German?
No.
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Does the FWF help establish contacts to Austrian scientists?
No. Coordination between the foreign scientist and his or her Austrian supervisor takes place without the involvement of the FWF.
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Who should submit the application: the foreign applicant or the Austrian co-applicant?
Both are possible. Please note that the complete information required by the FWF must be provided.
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If the foreign scientist is already in Austria, can he or she still apply for a Lise Meitner position?
Yes, provided that he or she has not been in Austria for longer than (all in all) three years of the previous ten years at the time the application is submitted.
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Can / should a Lise Meitner position be used to strengthen an existing cooperation between an applicant and a co-applicant?
Yes, but the FWF expects that awarding a Lise Meitner position will lead to a
fresh scientific input to the Austrian research institution.
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May I submit further letters of recommendation?
Applicants may also include letters of recommendation from their current research institutions but such letters are not compulsory.
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What is the salary of a Lise Meitner-Postdoc-Position?
If the length of research experience (at the time of application) following award of a doctoral degree is less than two years, the FWF will pay a normal post-doctoral salary. If the length of post-doctoral research experience is more than two years, a "Senior Postdoc" salary will be paid. Salaries are not topped-up during the running period of a Lise Metiner position (except to compensate for inflation).
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Does the application have to contain a financial plan?
No. Information about the use to which any additional money requested after approval of the application is to be put must be provided at the time this money is requested. If the additional money is intended to be used for scientific travels, the project application should detail these and provide justification for them.
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What happens if my application is rejected?
You may submit a revised version. Revised applications must be significantly altered or updated compared with the original versions and should be accompanied by a list of changes made.
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What do I need to know about taxation in Austria?
Details are given in an information sheet prepared specially for Lise Meitner Fellowship holders.
> Tax information for Lise Meitner Fellowships (PDF)
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