Updated Application Guidelines Online
In the most recent update of its Application Guidelines, the FWF is introducing a statement on environmental sustainability in the research process, effective as of December 1, 2025. Under the new provisions, applicants in the Principal Investigator Projects, Clinical Research, and Principal Investigator Projects International funding programs (if the FWF is responsible for the review process) will be required to explain in their application how aspects of ecological sustainability can be taken into account in the planned research project without limiting the generation of scientific knowledge.
The focus should be exclusively on those aspects that are in the principal investigatorâs sphere of influence, such as sustainable travel, hybrid or virtual meeting formats, the optimization of measurements and experiments, and the sustainable procurement of equipment and materials. Applicants can also refer to any existing measures at their research institution, such as sustainability strategies or guidelines. If the project includes no relevant environmental sustainability aspects, a brief explanation is sufficient.
After a pilot phase of several months, the FWF will evaluate the introduction of the sustainability statement.
Further information on the statement can be found in this orientation guide and on each programâs web page.
