Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research Hikes RTI Pact Investments: Optimistic Outlook for Austria’s Basic Research

The FWF welcomes the funding framework announced by Minister of Science Eva-Maria Holzleitner for the part of the RTI Pact that includes funding for basic research. The €375 million increase in this funding, amounting to €3 billion over the next three years, will enable further growth-oriented investment in Austria’s basic research sector, especially in funding for early-stage researchers.

January 29, 2026

Wissenschaftsministerin Eva-Maria Holzleitner vor blauer FWF-Logowand — Minister of Women, Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner sets out the funding framework for Austria’s basic research with investments of €3 billion over the next three years (archive photo). © FWF/Luiza Puiu

A positive outlook for Austrian basic research and for the competitiveness of Austria as an innovation location: Minister of Science Eva-Maria Holzleitner Eva-Maria Holzleitner has announced the investment volume for the part of the RTI Pact that falls within the remit of the Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research, and which also includes funding for the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). With additional investments of €375 million for all the funding and research organizations covered by the Pact, the Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research is providing a strong and sustainable impetus for scientific progress in Austria. This will allow the FWF to engage in growth-oriented planning. In addition, as announced at the end of last year, Austria’s universities will also be making financial contributions to research funding, emphasizing their shared responsibility for Austria as a science location. The next step is for the other ministries involved in the RTI Pact to secure the funding needed for their respective spheres of responsibility. As soon as the RTI Pact as a whole has been approved, the allocation of funds between the responsible ministries and the institutions subject to the Research Financing Act (Forschungsfinanzierungsgesetz, FoFinaG) will be determined. Based on the outcome of this process, the FWF can then finalize its funding budget for the coming years.

“With this positive funding commitment, Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner is making sure Austria can continue to invest successfully in science and research in the future. This is a strong and commendable signal, especially given the current tight federal budget. It pays off in more ways than one: Every euro invested in research has a lasting impact, providing positive impulses for the innovation sector, the labor market, and social progress that go far beyond science,” said FWF President Christof Gattringer and Vice President Ursula Jakubek.

Added value for Austria as a research location

More than 5,000 researchers throughout Austria are currently working on FWF-funded projects, in contexts ranging from career advancement programs and individual research projects to small and large research teams and inter-institutional FWF Clusters of Excellence. The majority of funding recipients are early-stage researchers, which means that FWF projects make a key contribution to educating and retaining highly qualified talent for industry and society. The knowledge gained in these projects forms the basis for innovations in numerous areas – from medicine and technology to cultural and social sciences. The Nobel Prizes awarded to Anton Zeilinger, Ferenc Krausz, and Emmanuelle Charpentier are prominent examples of the impact of excellent basic research and are representative of the thousands of research projects in which new knowledge is generated every day.