New FWF Supervisory Board Constituted – Heinz W. Engl Elected as Chair

The newly elected ten-member Supervisory Board of the FWF was constituted on December 11. Four members were elected by the Assembly of Delegates, three by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research, and one by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). These eight members elected the ninth, and the tenth member was appointed by the FWF Staff Council. At their first meeting, the ten Supervisory Board members elected Heinz W. Engl as Chair and Susanne Kalss as Deputy Chair. The term of office runs until 2027.
December 13, 2023
FWF-Kugelschreiber in einer FWF-Tasse neben einem Stapel FWF-Jahresberichten
The term of office of the new FWF Supervisory Board runs until the end of 2027. © FWF/Christine Miess

“I would like to thank the members of the Supervisory Board for their trust in me and for electing me as Chair,” said Heinz W. Engl after the constituent meeting, and continued, “The provisions of the Research and Technology Funding Act assign the Supervisory Board an important monitoring role, which we will fulfill with great care. I look forward to working together within the committee and with the FWF Executive Board to further strengthen Austria as an attractive research location.”

“I am looking forward to working with the new Supervisory Board, whose members have held leading positions in the Austrian research community for many years and who will be bringing a great deal of experience and expertise to the FWF,” said FWF President Christof Gattringer after the first Supervisory Board meeting.

The Supervisory Board is entrusted with numerous powers of monitoring and approval. Among other things, it adopts resolutions on the annual financial statements, the draft of each new three-year program, and the financing agreements. It elects the President from a shortlist provided by the Assembly of Delegates and the three Vice-Presidents of Research as proposed by the President. It also appoints the Executive Vice-President after consultation with the President.

The new FWF Supervisory Board 2023 to 2027

The members of the FWF Supervisory Board are:

Chair

  • Heinz W. Engl, former Rector of the University of Vienna

Deputy Chair

  • Susanne Kalss, Vienna University of Economics and Business

Members (in alphabetical order):

  • Gabriele Ambros, President of Forschung Austria
  • Günther R. Burkert, University for Continuing Education Krems
  • Wilfried Eichlseder, University of Leoben
  • Ulrike Felt, University of Vienna
  • Eva Gollubits, Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)
  • Johanna Rachinger, Austrian National Library
  • Andrea Wald-Bruckner, Head of the FWF Staff Council
  • Rudolf Zechner, University of Graz

Consultant Members

  • Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell in her function as Chair of the Supervisory Board of the Austrian Research Promotion Agency
  • Martin Gerzabek in his function as President of the Christian Doppler Research Association

FWF Supervisory Board

7th term (2023–2027)