FWF Awards €97.9 Million for Excellent Basic Research

At the last Scientific Board meeting, the FWF's Scientific Consultants decided on numerous applications from a variety of programs, including including Special Research Areas, doc.funds, and Research Groups, based on the results of international peer review.

In Emerging Fields, the second program of the excellent=austria initiative, nine consortia were shortlisted for the final selection in 2026. The selected interdisciplinary Emerging Fields teams cover a wide range of disciplines and will present their research approaches to an international jury in February 2026. The aim of the Emerging Fields program is to fund pioneers in the field of basic research who are prepared to challenge traditional ways of thinking.

FWF funds three new Special Research Areas

Generating more basic knowledge in medicine, quantum research, and astronomy – the FWF is strengthening cutting-edge research in Austria with three new Special Research Areas based on international standards. The new networks, coordinated by researchers from the University of Innsbruck, the University of Salzburg, and TU Wien, will each receive approximately €4 million in funding over a period of four years. They will be advancing basic research in medicine, quantum research, and cosmology. Two further Special Research Areas have been granted extensions.

For all further details, please click here.

Record approvals for doc.funds and more options for the doc.funds.connect program

The doc.funds and doc.funds.connect programs strengthen doctoral training programs at universities and universities of applied sciences (UAS). This gives doctoral students more career opportunities and helps them gain a foothold in promising research fields. The most recent round of doc.funds approvals was characterized by both high demand and high quality proposals; ultimately, seven research teams were selected for funding, which is a new record. The FWF is investing a total of €16.5 million in 65 new doctoral positions throughout Austria.

The FWF continues to develop the doc.funds.connect program: With fifteen successful doctoral programs and around 75 doctoral students funded at Austrian universities and universities of applied sciences, the results after five years of doc.funds.connect are impressive. The FWF has evaluated the program together with the stakeholders involved to ensure that its further development remains in line with funding needs. With this further development, the FWF aims to tailor the funding even better to applicants’ needs and to focus on the program’s strengths.

For all further details, please click here.

Research Groups: Cooperative research in smaller teams

The FWF’s Research Groups funding is aimed at smaller teams pursuing research questions in different locations and taking inter- or multidisciplinary approaches. In the current round of approvals, teams coordinated by TU Wien, the University of Graz, and the University of Innsbruck were selected for funding, with a total volume of €4.5 million. The new Research Groups will be working in the fields of biology, physics, and sociology.

For all further details, please click here.

Career development ESPRIT

A total of 70 proposals were submitted for the FWF’s ESPRIT career program, which supports highly qualified postdocs in all disciplines. Of these, 20 excellent peer-reviewed projects with a volume of €7 million were approved, 11 of which are headed by women.

Two new projects in the Arts-Based Research program

The Arts-Based Research program (PEEK) funds innovative research in the arts. Artistic practice plays a key role in the research questions. At the most recent Scientific Board meeting, 17 PEEK applications were decided on and two projects were approved:

• “Composing Tools as Computer Music Discourse,” principal investigator Gerhard Eckel, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz

• “On the Art of Disappearance and the Urge to Preserve,” principal investigator Paul-Julien Robert-Anxionnaz, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

Alternative Methods to Animal Testing: Eight new projects approved

Studies on animals are still indispensable in medical research. To help further accelerate the establishment of alternative methods, the FWF offers an Austria-wide funding program for research into alternative methods to animal testing with funding from the Ministry of Science. In the fifth call for proposals, eight new projects with a total funding volume of €3.1 million were approved.

• “Organoid as Alternative to Study Food-Related Host Responses,” principal investigator Georg Busslinger, CeMM – Research Center for Molecular Medicine

• “Complex Organoid Cultures as Preclinical Models for CRC,” principal investigator Helmut Dolznig, Medical University of Vienna

• “3D-Bioprinted Mesothelium-on-Chip to Study Ovarian Cancer,” principal investigator Judith Hagenbuchner, Medical University of Innsbruck

• “Organoid Models for Cell Replacement Therapy,” principal investigator Jürgen A. Knoblich, IMBA – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

• “Tandem Model to Study Feed Additives in Ruminants,” principal investigator Susanne Kreuzer-Redmer, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna

• “Establishment of Adult Human Organotypic Spinal Cord Slices,” principal investigator Flavia Millesi, Medical University of Vienna

• “A Novel Ex-Vivo Model for Aqueous Humor Dynamics,” principal investigator Clemens Strohmaier, Johannes Kepler University Linz

• “Revolutionizing Sleep Research: Non-Invasive Video Recording,” principal investigator Jelena Tadic, University of Graz

Details of all newly approved projects are now available on the FWF Research Radar page:

FWF Research Radar