Cutting-Edge Research in Austria: Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Approves EUR 52 Million for Outstanding Projects in Basic Research

At the first FWF Board meeting in 2022, which took place from 7 to 8 March, Stand-Alone Projects once again proved to be the main programme of FWF funding, accounting for the bulk of approvals. In all, applications for project funds (including clinical research) amounted to EUR 115.7 million, of which about EUR 29.3 million were approved, corresponding to an approval rate of 25.3 per cent. In the area of International Programmes, which are implemented jointly with international partner funding organisations, the applications amounted to around EUR 42.7 million, of which EUR 11.2 million were approved. In some cases, the decisions of partner organisations are still pending. 

Career advancement with ESPRIT 

Through the ESPRIT career programme, the FWF aims to support highly qualified postdocs from all disciplines. This new programme replaced the Lise Meitner and the Hertha Firnberg programmes in 2021 and features a higher funding budget, longer project durations, and more flexibility in the use of funds. Particular emphasis is also placed on the promotion of women’s careers.

Since the beginning of last year, researchers have been able to submit applications under ESPRIT, and interest in the programme has been high from the beginning. During the latest FWF Board meeting, decisions were taken on 64 applications (EUR 19.1 million). Of these, 16 projects were rated as excellent and approved to the tune of EUR 4.8 million, with exactly half of the funding going to women. The FWF was thus able to achieve one of its key aims at this meeting, that is, ensuring gender equality in the awarding of funding.

Through the Schrödinger outgoing programme, the FWF helps mainly young researchers to gain experience abroad at top research institutions. The co-financed return phase ensures that the knowledge and experience gained abroad helps advance the fellows’ careers in Austria and thus contributes to stopping “brain drain”. At the March meeting, nine applications amounting to EUR 1.2 million received funding (approval rate: 42.1%).

PEEK supports artistic research in Austria 

During the March meeting of the FWF Board, 13 applications joined the ranks of funded PEEK projects (PEEK – Programme for Arts-based Research). This flagship and pioneering programme has in the meantime gained an outstanding reputation that extends far beyond the borders of Austria. A total of 64 proposals totalling EUR 25.9 million were reviewed by international experts. In the end, 13 projects were approved to the tune of approximately EUR 5 million. The review process included, as every year, the top-class international PEEK Board, which nominates the international reviewers and subsequently submits a funding recommendation to the FWF Board.

The approved projects are as follows: 

• AR 696 “Nexus of Textile and Sound”, principal investigator: Gertrud Fischbacher, Mozarteum University Salzburg, Fine Arts and Design 
• AR 703 “Broken Collection”, principal investigator: Gabriela Krist, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute of Conservation and Restoration
• AR 705 “Knitted Body Materiality”, principal investigator: Katharina Sabernig, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute of Art Sciences and Art Education
• AR 713 “Speculative Sound Synthesis”, principal investigator: David Pirro, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics 
• AR 714 “Simultaneous Arrivals”, principal investigator: Hans Holger Rutz, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics 
• AR 716 “W/ri/gh/ting Archives through Artistic Research”, principal investigator: Rafal Morusiewicz, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna 
• AR 721 “Atlas (of Creative Mechanisms): [Curating-Conducting]”, principal investigator: Basak Senova Muratoglu, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute of Art Sciences and Art Education
• AR 727 “Between Critique and Hope”, principal investigator: Grace Wales Bonner, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Fashion master class 
• AR 730 “Inventorics: Recombining Artifacts for Innovation”, principal investigator: Christoph Kaltenbrunner, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute of Arts Science and Arts Education 
• AR 734 “Research as Vocality: Tracing the African Presence in Naples”, principal investigator: Giovanni Chiriaco, University of Innsbruck, Archive of Text and Music Studies
• AR 743 “Études for Live Electronics”, principal investigator: Alex Hofmann, University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Department of Music Acoustics – Wiener Klangstil (IWK)
• AR 749 “Embodying Expression, Gender and Charisma: Breaking Boundaries”, principal investigator: Barbara Lüneburg, Anton Bruckner Private University, Institute of Theory and History 
• AR 762 “Wachau Routes: Arts-based Perspectives on a River Landscape”, principal investigator: Roland Tusch, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Institute of Landscape Architecture

The members of the PEEK Board can be found here.

A recently published evaluation attested to the importance and the effectiveness of the PEEK programme in the arts-based research community. The evaluation can be found  here.

Quality, fairness, transparency 

In addition to the highest scientific quality, internationality, and fairness, the FWF also subscribes to maximum transparency. All approved research projects are presented in detail on the FWF website. They can be found here. 

In addition, statistics are provided for each Board meeting which you can find here.

FWF Board 

The FWF Board consists of the executive board and the reporters of the FWF. The FWF Board is responsible for deciding on the funding for research projects. All members of the FWF Board can be found here.