High Demand for Research Funding Continues

Austria's basic research community is growing, and with it the demand for funding. These trends are reflected in the funding balance of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). With new research projects amounting to around €340 million, the total funding volume has decreased without the previous year’s excellent=austria approvals, but the amount of funding granted in all other programs increased by an average of 9%. With 749 newly approved projects, more cutting-edge research projects than ever before were launched in Austria.

In total, the FWF is currently funding over 5,300 researchers at Austria's universities and non-university research institutions – another new record that highlights Austria’s outstanding scientific potential and the importance of FWF funding for the success of cutting-edge research. The FWF’s highly competitive grants play a key role in developing excellent academic performance, boosting economic growth, strengthening competitiveness, and tackling social challenges. Around €136.4 million went to research in the field of natural sciences and technology, €125.3 million in biology and medical sciences, and €77.4 million in the humanities and social sciences.

“Research policy is policy for the future. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to create opportunities and lay the groundwork for a strong, independent, and forward-looking scientific community in Austria. The fact that we secured record-breaking investments of around €5.5 billion in the current FTI Pact is not business as usual: it is a clear political commitment. Investments in science are investments in innovation, in social progress, in good jobs – and in a resilient democracy. Because an open society needs reliable knowledge, critical thinking, and the courage to break new ground,” says Minister of Science Eva-Maria Holzleitner.

“More FWF-funded researchers than ever are currently working on generating new knowledge, which leads to medical breakthroughs, technological innovations, and solutions for social challenges. In the face of global crises and uncertainties, it is crucial to continue investing in the brightest ideas: This is the only way to ensure innovative strength, economic power, and the ability to respond effectively to future challenges. What may seem like pure curiosity today could well become relevant for all of us tomorrow,” says Christof Gattringer, President of the FWF, at the presentation of the funding balance.

More funding applications submitted than ever before - approval rate remains under pressure

The demand for third-party funding from researchers at Austria’s universities and non-university research institutions remains high. Submissions reached an all-time high last year with around 3,100 funding applications and a requested funding volume of over €1.5 billion. The FWF received significantly more applications, especially from early-stage researchers and international researchers. The approval rate across all funding programs fell to 24% (2024: 24.4%). Based on the average in recent years, the FWF is unable to fund research projects with an annual volume of around €60 million despite their excellent scientific quality. As a result, these excellent “approved but not funded” research ideas cannot be implemented in Austria.