Funding Diversity in Research

Numerous activities and measures at the FWF contribute to more equal opportunities and diversity in top-level research. The goal is to ensure gender equality and to recognize the diversity of researchers and their projects.

The most recent initiative in the FWF’s funding programs: In collaborative programs, additional funding is available for measures aimed at increasing diversity and equality, including awareness-raising activitied such as training and further education. For further information, please see the FWF website.

Research on queer studies and LGBTQI+ issues

Findings from LGBTQI+ and queer studies research make different realities of life more visible, help us to better understand discrimination, and provide evidence-based foundations for an inclusive society. Between 2016 and 2025, a total of 140 proposals with a focus on LGBTQI+ or queer studies were submitted to the FWF. Currently, 16 projects are studying these topics, including, for example, a longitudinal study on rainbow families in Austria by the University of Vienna.

These developments also reflect the FWF’s fundamental approach: Its thematically open funding supports excellent research projects that generate new scientific findings, strengthen interdisciplinary approaches, and contribute to a knowledge-based and ultimately open society.

Check out the FWF’s scilog magazine for an article on a current research project called “Mapping Queer Exile.”