Ministeriumseigenes Forschungsprogramm BMLUK (Programm fuer Forschung und Entwicklung im BMLUK 2026-2030)

What you get

The Austrian Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Climate and Environment, Regions and Water (BMLUK) pays for applied research projects on its own priority topics between 2026 and 2030. This is a research contract, not a personal scholarship. Your institution gets paid to carry out a project. There is no fixed upper limit on the funding. The budget must match what the project actually needs and be clearly calculated. You must cover at least 10% of the requested amount yourself or through outside contributions. Personnel costs follow the usual rates of research institutions. For doctoral researchers at universities, the standard collective-agreement pay is accepted. Each project runs for its own agreed contract period.

Your topic must fit one of eight priority areas set for 2026 to 2030: climate and material cycles; people, regions, communities and farms; biodiversity and habitats; forests, renewable raw materials and the bioeconomy; sustainable and animal-friendly livestock systems; crops, water and soil; food, nutrition and production; and natural hazards, protection and development.

Who can apply

• Who submits: Any scientific body or person who can prove relevant research expertise. This includes universities, research institutions, non-university research bodies (such as BOKU), regional initiatives and practical operators.
• Public partners: Other federal ministries or provincial governments can take part through federal-provincial cooperations.
• Topic: Your project must address a theme from one of the eight priority areas.
• Type of research: Only applied, practice-oriented research is funded, meaning work that produces usable results for policy and practice.
• Equal opportunity: Where qualifications are equal, women should make up at least 50% of the project team.

How to apply

You submit your project through the research platform DaFNE at dafne.at, where you first register an account. There are no fixed deadlines, so you can apply at any time. After a formal check, internal and external reviewers assess your project on scientific quality, relevance to the ministry's strategies and innovation. A regular internal committee then makes the final decision before a contract is signed.

How realistic are your chances?

This is aimed at established research bodies with proven expertise, not individuals. The field is limited to teams that can show a scientific track record and a clear practical benefit. Because there is no fixed budget cap and applications run year-round, a well-scoped project that clearly fits one of the eight priority areas has solid prospects. A vague topic, or one outside the ministry's remit, is the main reason to be turned down.