Ernst Mach Grants for Research Stays in Austria

The Ernst Mach Grant program is named after the famous Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach (1838-1916). The grant program is financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy (BMWFW). Students and young researchers from foreign universities are invited to apply for this grant to come to Austria for a research or a study stay.

The Ernst Mach Grant worldwide is targeted at young researchers from all disciplines and countries (except Austria) who wish to pursue a research project in Austria.

Duration

1 to 9 months

Grant benefit paid

Supplementary grant, own funds are required

1) Monthly grant rate

• for graduates: EUR 1,050
• for graduates with a PhD degree: EUR 1,150

2) Accommodation, health insurance

a) It is possible for OeAD scholarship holders to book accommodation (dormitory or apartment) with the OeAD Housing office. The monthly costs are:

• monthly rent: roughly EUR 250 to 600 (depending on the amenities)
• monthly administrative fee: EUR 18

b) OeAD scholarship holders need to have health insurance that is accepted by the Austrian authorities for the duration of their stay in Austria. The OeAD can help with taking out such insurance. The monthly costs can vary, at the moment you should calculate EUR 55 to 200 (depending on your age, scholarship category and state of health).

Scholarship holders have to pay the costs for accommodation and insurance themselves.

c) Applicants from non-EU/EEA countries who are planning a research stay of more than 6 months: If your monthly costs for accommodation in Austria exceed EUR 300, you may need to provide proof of additional funds to the Austrian residence authority when you apply for your residence permit. This figure may vary depending on your individual costs for health insurance and other liabilities.

3) Grant holders do not have to pay tuition fees in Austria. They might have to hand in a request at the rector’s office of their respective host university and demonstrate that they are studying or doing research in the context of transnational EU, national or university mobility programs.

4) Scholarship holders from non-European developing countries will also receive a travel costs subsidy of max.  EUR 1,000.

Advice on how to apply:

Goals:

• To promote research cooperation
• To promote young academics in the early stages of their scientific career
• To establish an effective network of researchers with relations to Austria 

Eligible for application are 

• postgraduates pursuing a doctoral/PhD programme outside Austria;
• postgraduates and post-docs wishing to pursue research in Austria with a view to an academic career and who completed their studies (at a university outside Austria) after September 30th, 2017;
• post-docs who are working as lecturers at a university outside Austria.

Applicants must not have studied/pursued research/pursued academic work in Austria in the last six months before taking up the grant.

Maximum age: 35 years (born on or after Oct. 1st, 1983).

Language skills: Very good knowledge of English and/or German

FAQs: Please check our list of frequently asked questions regarding the application process and eligibility for this grant.

The scholarship will only be granted for projects that can be completed within the scholarship period (max. 9 months).

The following documents have to be uploaded with the online application:

• Two letters of recommendation by university lecturers (for these letters of recommendation no specific form is required; they must contain the letterhead, date and signature of the person recommending the applicant and the stamp of the university / department and must not be older than six months at the time of application.)
• Consent of a lecturer at the Austrian target university to supervise the applicant academically
• Scanned copy of your passport (page with the name and photo)
• Scanned copy of your university graduation certificate of your diploma, master, PhD or doctoral studies
• only for PHD-students: confirmation, that proves your participation in a PHD-program at your home university
• only for postdoc-lecturers: confirmation that proves your employment at your home university

General Information

Applicants who seek admission to an university in Austria have to contact the institution of their choice directly.

Short-term grants (1 to 3 months) have a priority in the period from January to June. In other cases problems can arise as regards accommodation. When applying for a short-term grant therefore consideration should be given to applying primarily for the period of January to June.

The selection process for all grants is competitive, i.e. there is no legal claim to a grant even if all application requirements are fulfilled. The number of grants that will be awarded during one call depends on the quota and/or the available budget. Applicants may apply for several grants at the same time.

Grant holders must be present at their place of study in Austria to study or conduct their research project.

Once an application has been rejected, it will not be considered any further within that call. However, it is possible to re-apply for this grant with a revised application in the future.

Selection procedure

Incomplete applications and applications not complying with the application criteria will not be accepted for the further selection process.

The selection follows a multistage process:

• Examination of the formal requirements
• Examination of the application's general plausibility
• Assessment and evaluation of the application by experts
• Final decision by the BMBWF

Contact at the OeAD-GmbH

Ms. Katharina Cepak (e-mail: katharina.cepak@oead.at)