The Austrian Geographical Society - Der Föderpreis der ÖGG

What you get

For an outstanding undergraduate or Master’s thesis in Geography, you will receive a one-off award of 1,000 EUR. The Austrian Geographical Society (ÖGG) awards the prize once a year and has done so every year since 1995. The award recognises theses that stand out both thematically and methodologically, across all fields of geography.

Who can apply

• What you wrote: You have independently written a diploma or master’s thesis in Geography.
• Field of study: Every area of geography matters, including cartography (the creation and analysis of maps).
• Where it was graded: An Austrian university has officially accepted and marked your final thesis (‘aprobiert’).
• Timing: You completed your final-year dissertation this year or last year.
• Age: You are currently at 35 in the application process.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. The key requirement is that your final thesis has been assessed by an Austrian university.
• Excluded: Members of the Executive Board, auditors and staff of the ÖGG are ineligible to apply.

How to apply

Applications should be sent by post or email to the ÖGG office in Vienna. Please submit your final thesis together with a short cover letter, your CV and any references you may already have. The deadline for applications is 31 December. A panel of judges will reach its decision the following autumn, based on two expert reports for each thesis.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an annual award restricted to geoscience dissertations that have been marked at Austrian universities by applicants aged 35 or younger; the pool of eligible applicants is therefore small. The prize recognises academic quality rather than financial need or social commitment, meaning that a compelling, highly rated thesis is the decisive factor in the award. If your thesis has already received excellent marks, it is worth applying.