The FWF offers both virtual and in-person information events and coaching workshops on a regular basis. You can find all our current events online on the FWF Calendar. You can also sign up for the FWF Calendar Newsletter. The newsletter goes out once a week and keeps you up to date on FWF events and calls as well as science-related events held by other organizations.

Description and target groups

Coaching workshops offer a practical insight into the working methods and procedures of the FWF and clarify crucial points of the application process and project management. The workshops are aimed in particular at scientists and researchers who are planning to submit an application to the FWF in the near future and have the necessary qualifications.

Participants are expected to have a basic knowledge of the FWF, such as can be acquired by attending an FWF information event. There are no restrictions with regard to the professional background of the participants.

Structure and programme

Coaching workshops are practice-oriented: inputs from FWF experts alternate with practical exercises. The main focus of these workshops is the close examination of real proposals taken from the FWF's daily work. Participants slip into the role of reviewers and analyse and discuss rejected applications and the corresponding approved resubmissions (including reviews). By comparing the initial application with the approved resubmission, participants learn the "dos and don’ts" as well as the opportunities and pitfalls of the application process. Finally, the workshop covers aspects of the review and decision-making processes as well as project management in the event of a positive funding decision.

Duration, locations and costs

Coaching workshops last the whole day from 9:00 to 17:00. The participation fee is 120 euros per person and includes course materials and catering. Many universities and research institutions refund all or part of the fee.

The coaching workshops always take place outside of research institutions, usually in a seminar hotel or in the Haus der Forschung (House of Research). This ensures a professional infrastructure and an undisturbed working atmosphere. Due to the complexity of the programme and the desire to facilitate in-depth consultations and discussions, the number of participants is limited to a maximum of 20.

Registration/Cancellation

Interested persons can register by sending an email to workshops(at)fwf.ac.at. After registration, you will receive all further information about the workshop.

Please note that registration via the above-mentioned email address is binding. Participation can be cancelled free of charge up to 14 days before the event at the latest. In the case of a no-show, the entire fee will be charged. Alternatively, you can send an email with the name of a substitute participant at the latest two days before the date of the workshop.

Specialty Workshops

Upon request, individually tailored coaching workshops (specialty workshops) can be held for specific target groups. The number of these workshops depends on the demand and the resources of the FWF. In view of the necessary planning and organisation, the lead time is at least four months before the desired date.

The participants in these workshops should have a "homogeneous," common background (the same field, gender, career status, etc.). Here, too, the participants should be planning to submit an application in the near future. The content and the structure of the speciality workshops are mainly the same as those of the coaching workshops; however, the main topics  (programmes) are specifically geared to the interests of the participants. The events are conducted by FWF experts.

The duration of these special workshops varies depending on the target group (between four and eight hours). The FWF handles the organisation (venues, infrastructure and catering), and the respective research institution or professional group is responsible for registering participants and covering the lump-sum workshop fee.

The FWF information events provide an initial overview of the FWF and its funding opportunities. The events are aimed at all scientists and researchers interested in basic research and FWF funding. There are no restrictions with regard to professional background and/or career status. Information events provide participants with an initial idea of which FWF programmes might be suitable for their research projects.

Information events take place annually in cooperation with the respective research services (or analogous organisational units) of the universities or non-university research institutions. The dates are set one year in advance and announced online in the FWF calendar. Participation is free of charge, and there is no limit on the number of participants, although information events usually only take place when there are at least 25 participants.

The events normally consist of an informative presentation by FWF experts, which provides a general overview of the FWF, its role in the research system, its working methods, its programmes and their decision-making processes. This may be followed by advising sessions in small groups, one-on-one conversations and/or speed talks by FWF-funded researchers. The emphases largely depend on the organiser's interests, so the duration of the information events can vary (usually between two and four hours). The hosting research centre bears the organisational costs on site, including any catering.