Massively Increasing Demand, Limited Resources: Changes in the Submission Process

The FWF is making some initial changes in response to the rapidly growing demand for research funding. The goal is to reduce the often significant overload of funding programs by adjusting the guidelines, allowing the FWF to continue to offer all researchers a fair chance at acquiring funding for their projects. Read on to find out about the upcoming changes.

October 19, 2026

Notizpapier mit Glühbirne — The FWF is responding to the increasing number of applications by making changes to project duration and funding volumes, as well as by introducing additional restrictions on resubmissions and the permissible number of applications and projects. © Unsplash/Absolutvision

The growing demand for research funding is proof that the Austrian research community is vibrant and growing. The fact that FWF programs are overloaded is not a new phenomenon. It makes sense to a certain extent, because competition for funding allows for selection based on scientific quality. However, the situation at the FWF has worsened significantly in recent months: It is becoming increasingly difficult for researchers to secure funding despite the high scientific quality of their work.

With a massive increase in the number of applications (up by 80% in some programs) compared to the previous year, the international peer-review process is also reaching its limits. This trend is evident across all programs, and there are no signs of it slowing down. As a result, more and more researchers are investing time and energy in proposals that ultimately cannot be funded due to the high demand. This not only puts a strain on the peer-review system, but is also frustrating for researchers. In addition, the high demand can lead to longer processing times in the administration of funding, as the review and decision-making processes take more time.

This development is not just happening in Austria – other European research funding agencies, as well as the European Research Council (ERC), are also working on measures to address the rising number of applications or have already implemented them. The FWF attributes the rapid increase primarily to the use of AI in the funding application process and to the growing appeal of Austria as a research location due to changing geopolitical conditions.

Adjusting the guidelines with a balanced touch – funding programs remain available without restriction

The FWF is responding to the increasing number of applications by making changes to project duration and funding volumes, as well as by introducing additional restrictions on resubmissions and the permissible number of applications and projects. The goal is to keep the number of applications more in line with the available funding, while at the same time avoiding further restrictions or application quotas for as long as possible, in the best interests of the researchers.

Here is an overview of the changes that will apply to all FWF applications starting December 16, 2026, following a transition period:

Project duration: In the Principal Investigator Projects program – the FWF’s largest funding program – the maximum duration of funding will be extended from four to five years (also for the programs Clinical Research and Arts-Based Research), and a minimum duration of two years will be introduced. The new minimum duration also applies to Principal Investigator Projects International.

Funding volume: The funding range for Principal Investigator Projects (also for the programs Clinical Research and Arts-Based Research), will be set at a minimum of €200,000 and a maximum of €1 million. The maximum funding amount depends on the project duration (up to €200,000 per year; annual allocation remains flexible).

Resubmissions: In the future, a three-month waiting period applies before a rejected application can be resubmitted. Applications that are rejected for grounds C3 or C4 may then be resubmitted only once. If the resubmission is also rejected for grounds C3 or C4, a 12-month ban on resubmission applies. The new restrictions on resubmitting applications will apply across all programs (with the exception of collaborative programs).

Limit on the number of applications/projects: Once the changes take effect, researchers will only be able to have a maximum of three pending applications and/or ongoing projects in total. This will also apply to all consortium members in collaborative programs (with the exception of doc.funds and doc.funds.connect). Mentors will only be able to support a total of two ESPRIT programs at the same time.

Additional changes and separate cost guidelines

Other changes pertain to formal requirements, such as the page limit of the project description (no more than 15 pages), the length of the cost breakdown (no more than 3 pages), and the number of optional collaboration letters that can be included (up to 5 letters).

In addition, the FWF has summarized the project cost guidelines for all programs with common requirements in a separate “Cost Guidelines” document. Changes to cost accounting include the funds that can be requested for equipment and equipment use, as well as for conference travel and catering.

Transitional provisions

The new application guidelines and the cost guidelines will be available online starting November 16, 2026, and will apply to all applications created on the elane electronic application portal on or after that date.

The following transitional provision also applies: Applications created in elane on or before November 15, 2026, may still be finalized and submitted by December 15, 2026, under the provisions of the previous guidelines.

As of December 16, 2026, only the new guidelines will apply, regardless of when the application was submitted.

The only exceptions to these transitional provisions are Principal Investigator Projects calls subject to deadlines for which the February 2026 guidelines were still in effect when the call was opened. Detailed information is available in the respective call documents.