Open Call of the Academy | Early Postdoc Fellowship 2026

Requirements

This call is open to all postdocs who 

• are at an early career stage: 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 3 years after receipt of the doctorate, for FWF ESPRIT up to a maximum of 5 years. That means when submitting for the Early Postdoc Fellowship you should not have received your doctorate more than 2, respectively 4 years ago (depending on the funding program).
• have at least two international and quality-assured publications in line with high international standards (minimum status when applying for the fellowship: accepted).
• can convincingly convey that the successful finalization of the application to a funding agency is possible during the duration of the fellowship.
  

Description

• The fellowship begins upon award and can be sourced over a period of max. six months.
  
• The accompanying program for the scholarship includes coaching, participation is obligatory. This coaching supports working on a career and mentoring plan and is taliored to the respective funding guidelines.
• The amount of the scholarship is 4,500 euros. The scholarship must be repaid if it is drawn in breach of the guidelines.
• The payment of the scholarship is made in installments and is linked to three milestones. 
  • Milestone 1: a kick-off meeting, the submission of a time plan for the duration of the fellowship
  • Milestone 2: the submission of draft project proposal, a career and mentoring plan, and the completion of the coaching
  • Milestone 3: the submission of the project application to the funding body
• Two fellowships can be awarded in total. 

Submission

Applications must be submitted in English and work via the Academy's submission system.

The submission includes

• a completed application form
• the following documents in PDF format: 
  • Draft of your project (max. 5 pages, plus max. 1 page reference list, structured according to the proposal structure of the selected postdoctoral funding program)
  • Abstract of your project idea (max ½ a page)
  • CV, including publication list and further research achievements (max. 3 pages)
  • Detailed work and time plan for the duration of the fellowship until the submission of the project application (max. 2 pages). Applicants must clearly demonstrate that the work on a project proposal can be successfully completed within the fellowsip period.
  • Certificate of PhD/doctoral 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.

Deadline

Tuesday, 15 September 2026, 11 h

Further information is available via the Academy's submission system.