Open Call der Akademie | Scholarship Early Post Doc Applications 2026

This scholarship enables the intensive preparation of a project proposal, which will be submitted with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna as the home institution to funding agencies like FWF (ESPRIT funding program) or OeAW (APART GSK funding program) in the end. This call is open to all postdocs.

Funding for:

• Early postdocs: Please read the eligibility criteria of the respective funding bodies and programs carefully. For OeAW APART GSK it is possible to submit up to a maximum of three years after receipt of the doctorate, for FWF ESPRIT up to a maximum of five years. That means when submitting for our Scholarship for Early Post Doc Applications you should not have received your doctorate more than two respectively four years ago (depending on the funding program).
• Postdocs with at least two international and quality-assured publications in line with high international standards (minimum when submitting for the scholarship: accepted).
• The applicants should convincingly convey that the successful finalization of the application is possible during the fellowship.

Requirements

•  Applications must be submitted in English.
• The fellowship begins upon award and can be sourced over a period of six months.

Description

• Coaching is offered within the framework of the accompanying program for the scholarship; joint participation is obligatory for both the applicant and the mentor. This coaching especially focuses on a career and mentoring plan and is adjusted on the respective funding program.
• The payment of the scholarship is linked to milestones. The amount is paid out in three installments, which are linked to the completion of the coaching (1st installment), the submission of a career and mentoring plan (2nd installment), and the submission of the project application to the funding body (3rd installment).

Application

• Completed application form in the online submission platform (calls.akbild.ac.at)

The following documents need to be uploaded:

• Draft of your project (max. five pages, plus one additional page reference list, structured according to the proposal structure of the selected postdoctoral funding program, PDF)
• Abstract of your project idea (max ½ a page, PDF)
• CV, including publication list and further research achievements (max. three pages)
• Detailed work and time plan until the submission of the project application (max. two pages). Applicants must clearly demonstrate that the work on a project proposal can be successfully completed within the funding period of the scholarship.
• Certificate of Ph.D. degree
• A mentor's confirmation (filled in and signed PDF template). The choice of a mentor is an important step for new collaborations and in opening up new contexts. Therefore, reviewers usually recommend not choosing the dissertation supervisor as a mentor. Employment at the academy is obligatory for the mentor. Please use the following template.

Amount of the scholarship

Overall, two fellowships can be awarded. The total amount of the fellowship is € 4.500,-- each and will be paid in three installments.

The scholarship must be repaid in full in the event that it is drawn in breach of the guidelines.

Deadline

Tuesday 17th February 2026, 11:00 am

For more information on the call, please see here.