FWF Informational Events

Allow us to introduce ourselves: The FWF Webinar: FWF Funding 101 has all you need to know about the FWF’s basic principles and funding portfolio. The event also covers the most important information about the submission and decision-making processes. The program is aimed at researchers of all disciplines and career stages interested in submitting an FWF application, as well research service staff members. All further FWF informational events are based on this introductory session.

The webinar is held online using Zoom and usually lasts 90 minutes. Sessions in English are also available. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the event. Attendance is free of charge, but participants are required to sign up for the event. Please sign up using the link in the calendar entry for the event you wish to attend. The FWF Webinar: FWF Funding 101 is usually held for groups of 25 or more participants.

Do you already know which funding program you plan to apply to, or would you like to find out more about a specific program? The Focus on... webinars cover the specific details and application guidelines of individual programs and discuss special aspects of the application process. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the event.

Focus on... webinars are usually held in both German and English as required (e.g., at the start of the call for proposals for the respective program). Events aimed exclusively at women are also offered at regular intervals, with a focus on measures for the advancement of women and gender equality within individual funding programs.

Attendance is free of charge, but participants are required to sign up for the event. Please sign up using the link in the calendar entry for the event you wish to attend. Focus on... webinars are usually held for groups of 25 or more participants.

The FWF Coaching Workshop: Submitting FWF Proposals gives you not only helpful insights into the FWF's funding principles and decision-making procedures, but also advice and tips on how to submit an effective application. These events are aimed especially at researchers with the required qualifications who are planning to submit a proposal in the near future. Ideally, you are a already familiar with the FWF portfolio and have attended one of the above-mentioned FWF webinars. Interested individuals from all disciplines are invited to attend. As important multipliers, we also welcome staff members of institutions’ research service centers to our workshops.

These coaching workshops are designed to be particularly practice-oriented: Inputs from the FWF service team are paired with practical exercises using real-life FWF applications. Participants take on the role of experts and analyze and discuss applications and the reviews that led to the Scientific Board’s decision on each proposal. Dos and don'ts when preparing applications as well as important aspects of the review and decision-making process round out the workshops.

As a rule, the FWF coaching workshops are based on the Application Guidelines for Principal Investigator Projects and are offered in both German and English. Occasionally, program-specific coaching workshops are also offered. These events are listed separately on the respective program page in the online Funding Portfolio and in the Event Calendar.

Location, costs, and registration

FWF coaching workshops are full-day events (9 am to 5 pm), held at a seminar hotel or directly on location at the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) on Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna. The attendance fee of €120 includes all course handouts as well as coffee breaks and lunch. Many universities and research institutes refund the attendance fees in full or in part to their participating researchers.

A binding registration is required. Registrations can be canceled free of charge up to 14 days before the event date, however, no-shows will be charged for the entire participation fee. Alternatively, you can name a substitute participant by email up to two working days before the workshop date. In any case, the number of participants is limited. If there are too few registrations, the FWF reserves the right to cancel a workshop date.

Virtual FWF coaching workshops

Virtual coaching workshops via Zoom have also been available since 2023. Content-wise, virtual workshops differ only slightly from face-to-face events. However, we do ask all participants to familiarize themselves with sample application documents in advance so that they can actively participate in the group discussions during the virtual coaching workshop. The sample applications will be made available online one week prior to the event date.

Virtual coaching workshops last around five hours, and the attendance fee is €80. Again, many universities and research institutions are happy to reimburse all or part of the attendance fee.

The FWF offers researchers a great deal of freedom and flexibility for their research work. However, some guidelines and rules do apply when conducting your project – the FWF Webinar: Successfully Implementing FWF Projects covers all the most important questions about conducting your project. Based on the most common dos and don'ts, participants learn about key aspects of handling and accounting for research funds. Attendees also have ample opportunities to ask individual questions about conducting their research projects in PROFI mode. We’ll also be introducing you to additional support options and services offered by the FWF.

These events are aimed especially at principal investigators of approved FWF projects in PROFI mode, project administrators, and research service staff members. The webinar guides participants step by step through the process of conducting of an FWF project under PROFI mode, from the grant agreement all the way through to completing the project.

The webinar is held online using Zoom and usually lasts 90 minutes. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions during the event. Attendance is free of charge, but participants are required to sign up for the event. Please sign up using the link in the calendar entry for the event you wish to attend. Webinars are usually held for groups of 25 or more participants.

The FWF consulting team would also be happy to offer one of the coaching workshops described above directly in cooperation with your research institution. The inviting research institution bears the costs of organizing the event in the form of a flat-rate deductible to cover expenses.

To make sure your researchers have enough space to exchange ideas with each other and with the FWF, in-person workshops are not held on location at the inviting research institution. Workshops are organized and administered by the FWF. For these events, research institutions are responsible only for handling the sign-up process.

If you are interested in hosting an FWF coaching workshop for your research institution, please first contact the relevant staff member at your research institution (research service center, personnel development office, or similar). FWF will then work together with them to plan your event.