doc.funds

What you get

This programme pays for 5 to 10 doctoral positions at an Austrian research institution for up to 48 months (4 years). Each PhD position gets up to 50,220 EUR per year (about 2,832 EUR gross per month at 30 hours per week, including the employer's contribution). On top of that comes up to 5,000 EUR per position per year for training such as conferences, research stays abroad, courses and guest lectures. There is also up to 20,000 EUR per year for equal-opportunity measures. Each funding round has a total budget of about 2.5 million EUR and supports roughly 5 projects. The money comes from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).

Note: this is not a scholarship you apply for yourself. It is extra funding for an existing structured PhD programme (a doctoral programme with a fixed curriculum and several supervisors). The institution applies, and the funded doctoral candidates are employed and paid through the project.

Who can apply

• Who applies: An Austrian research institution that may award doctorates, not individual students.
• The team: A group (faculty) of at least five researchers with top research records by FWF standards.
• Existing programme: The structured PhD programme must already have run for at least two years.
• Supervision track record: Every faculty member must show PhD supervision experience and internationally visible publications from the last five years.
• Gender balance: The under-represented gender must make up at least one third of the team; any deviation must be justified.
• Coordinator: The coordinator must be employed 100% at the host institution in Austria for the whole funding period. Faculty members need no specific degree or Austrian citizenship.
• No double funding: You cannot claim this on top of a running Doktoratskollegs, doc.funds or doc.funds.connect project.

How to apply

You apply in English through the FWF's online portal elane. Both the coordinator and the institution must release the application by the deadline of 26 February 2026, 14:00 Vienna time. International experts review the applications, and there are hearings. The FWF board decides at the end of November 2026 based on the jury's recommendation.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a competitive institutional programme: only about 5 projects are funded per round, and every faculty member must show a strong publication and supervision record. Success depends on an excellent existing PhD programme, a well-balanced team and a realistic budget, since inflated cost estimates are rejected even when the content is strong. A team that clearly meets the FWF's quality bar and submits on time has a fair shot at one of the limited places.