Executive Bodies

Composed of the President, three Vice-Presidents of Research, and the Executive Vice-President, the Executive Board coordinates the organization’s activities. It is in charge of defining the FWF's strategic objectives as well as developing and advancing its funding programs. In addition, the Executive Board is responsible for negotiating with Austrian and European research policymakers, cooperating with universities and other research institutions in Austria and abroad, and representing the FWF at the national and international level. The members of the Executive Board also belong to the Assembly of Delegates and the Scientific Board. The Vice-Presidents of Research are each in charge of a specialist department at the FWF. The President represents the FWF to the outside, chairs the Scientific Board and the Executive Board, and manages the FWF Office.

The Supervisory Board is entrusted with numerous powers of monitoring and approval. Among other things, it adopts resolutions on the annual financial statements, the draft of each new three-year program, and the financing agreements. It elects the President and the three Vice-Presidents of Research from a shortlist proposed by the Assembly of Delegates. It also appoints the Vice-President after consultation with the President.

The Assembly of Delegates makes decisions on the rules of procedure for its own activities as well as those of the Executive Board and the Scientific Board, and draws up a shortlist for the position of the President and Vice-Presidents. The Assembly also elects the members of the Scientific Board, based on a proposal by the Executive Board, as well as four members of the Supervisory Board. The voting members of the Assembly of Delegates are representatives of Austria’s research institutions. In addition, representatives of the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, and the FWF Executive Board are also part of the Assembly of Delegates.

The Scientific Board decides on the funding of research projects. It is composed of the Scientific Consultants and their alternates as well as the members of the FWF Executive Board. The Scientific Board ensures the high quality of the FWF’s funding decisions. Scientific Consultants are elected and appointed for a period of three years.

The expert juries and review panels deployed in some funding programs make funding recommendations to the Scientific Board.