FWF Approves 178 new Research Projects

In 2026’s first round of awards, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is funding 178 research projects with a volume of €101.4 million. Information on the most recent funding decisions is now available online.
March 10, 2026
Ein Wassertropfen trifft auf eine Wasseroberfläche auf
In its latest round of approvals, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) gave the green light for 178 new research projects. © Unsplash/Terry Vlisidis

At the most recent Scientific Board meeting, the FWF’s Scientific Consultants decided on applications from numerous programs. The 82 Principal Investigator Projects, with a funding volume of €36 million, account for the largest share. Funding decisions were also made for other programs in this round, including the Emerging Fields program, part of the excellent=austria initiative.

ESPRIT career program in high demand

More ESPRIT applications than ever before were reviewed and decided on in this round: Of 117 submissions – a significant increase compared to last year’s first Scientific Board meeting – 31 applications were approved. Sixteen of these projects have women as principal investigators.

Full-proposal phase for Specialized Research Groups program begins

The Scientific Board also discussed decisions for the full-proposal phase of the new Specialized Research Groups program. Eleven consortia will be invited to submit a full proposal. The final funding decisions will be made at the end of the year.

See the Research Radar page for the results of the 107th Scientific Board meeting:

FWF Research Radar

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