Ernst Mach Grant - ASEA-UNINET (deckt Vietnam weiterhin ab)

Benefit

You get 1,300 EUR per month plus a travel allowance of up to 1,200 EUR to study or research at an Austrian partner university. There are three types. The Full PhD Grant funds a complete doctorate for 36 months and adds 300 EUR per month on top. The Postdoc Grant funds a research stay of 4 to 9 months. The Music Practice Grant funds a 9-month study stay in instrumental or vocal performance, composition or conducting. The money comes from the Austrian OeAD, financed by the Austrian science ministry, together with the ASEA-UNINET university network. It does not cover everything, so budget for health insurance, rent and travel on top.

Eligibility

• Nationality: You are a citizen of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam.
• Where you go: You spend the funded stay at an Austrian university in the ASEA-UNINET network.
• Level: For the PhD grant, you want to do a full doctorate in Austria. For the postdoc grant, you already teach or research at an ASEA-UNINET university in one of the five countries. For the music grant, you study or have graduated in music (bachelor's or master's level).
• Field of study: Any subject, from natural sciences, engineering and medicine to agriculture, social sciences and humanities.
• Age: At most 35 for the PhD and music grants, or 45 for the postdoc grant, when you apply.
• Where you live: You have lived outside Austria for at least the 6 months before the stay starts. You are not already enrolled or living permanently in Austria.
• Previous degree: For the PhD grant, you earned your last degree outside Austria.
• Language: You have good English and/or German for your subject. Your supervisor confirms this, so you need no TOEFL certificate.
• Supervisor: For the PhD and postdoc grants, an Austrian professor confirms in writing that they will supervise you.

How to apply

You apply online through scholarships.at. For the 2026/27 round, the deadline is 15 December 2025 for the Music Practice Grant and 1 March 2026 for the Full PhD and Postdoc Grants. PhD and postdoc applicants go through an expert review and a selection interview. Music applicants take part in an audition.

How realistic are your chances?

The grant is cut narrowly. You must be a citizen of one of five named countries. For most grant types you also need an Austrian professor to commit to supervising you before you apply. That supervision commitment is the real hurdle and shrinks the field. If you have a clear project, a solid research proposal and a professor who backs you, your prospects are good. Selection also weighs how useful your project is for your home country's development.