ISTA Grant Office

If you are:

a graduate student or a postdoc working or planing to work at ISTA, and

willing to start or strengthen your track-record in getting third-party funds for your research,

you might want to check some of the major funding programmes below for PhD candidates and postdocs.

Many countries also have their own national fellowship programs. Click here to check funding options in your country of origin or your current/previous country of residence, for which we have experience.

These lists are not extensive, so do consult the grants.at database or contact us or in case you cannot find a suitable option, need personal advice or extra detail.

For graduate students – PhD candidates

National schemes

Program

Scope – Duration

Eligibility criteria

Calls & Key Dates

ÖA W DOC Fellowships

all scientific disciplines
2-3Y projects

admitted @ ISTA Graduate School (GS)
with MSc ⩽ 2Y before the call’s year or passed the qualifying exam (QE)

1/year
Sept

ÖAW L’Oréal Fellowships

in medicine, natural & life sciences, and mathematics
6-12M projects

female PhD candidates
doctorate studies initiated within the last 3 Y
AT nationals, or living in AT for the last 3Y

1/year
March

International schemes

Program

Scope – Duration

Eligibility Criteria

Calls & Key Dates

BIF – PhD Fellowships

experimental/in silico basic biomedical research
2 + 1Y funds

first university acceptance
< 96M before the deadline
affiliated or set to affilate with a group @ ISTA
PhD project not initiated or initiated < 6M before the deadline

3/year
1 Feb, 1 Jun, 1 Oct

Meta Research PhD Fellowship Program

computer science (CS) and engineering
1-2Y funds

enrolled in ISTA Graduate Program at the start of the fellowship (following year’s fall)

1/year
Sept

NVIDIA Graduate Fellowships

accelerated computing and its applications (esp AI, robotics, autonomous vehicles and related fields)
1 academic year (9M)

majored in CS and related fields
students with first year of graduate studies completed

1/year
Sept

Nomination-based calls

some funding schemes request institutional submissions and/or impose restrictions as to the number of concurrent fellowships applications from the same institution. In those cases, the Grant Office sets up a preliminary procedure to select those candidates who can apply for the following fellowships:

Program

Scope – Duration

Eligibility Criteria

Calls & Key Dates

Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship

computing research
up to 1Y funds

students in their 3rd year or beyond at the start of the fellowship

1/year
June

Google PhD Fellowships

computer science and related fields
up to 2Y funds

students with completed graduate coursework at the start of the fellowship (following year’s Fall)

1/year
Sept

IBM PhD Fellowship Awards

computer science and related fields
up to 2Y funds

students in their third year at the start of the fellowship (following year’s Fall)

1/year
Nov

The Grant Office will announce the calls in due course and give you instructions on how to proceed and when.

NOTE: For students not yet enrolled in the ISTA PhD Program, please see the Graduate School Website.

For postdocs

National schemes

Programme

Scope – Duration

Eligibility criteria

Calls & Key dates

FWF ESPRIT Fellowships

all scientific disciplines
3Y funds

with PhD deg ⩽ 5Y*
@ ISTA for ⩽ 18M
min 2 publs in the last 5Y

continuous submission**

FWF Elise Richter Fellowships

all scientific disciplines
1-4Y funds

female scientists
2Y postdoctoral experience
in AT for ⩾ 3Y in the last 10Y or in AT for the last 2Y
min 2 publs in the last 5Y

continuous submission**

FWF Erwin Schrödinger Fellowships

all scientific disciplines
10-24M (outgoing phase abroad)
3-12M (return phase in AT)

with PhD deg or about to have it
in AT for ⩾ 3Y in the last 10Y or in AT for ⩾ last 2Y
invited by the foreign host

continuous submission**

ÖAW APART-MINT Fellowships

all scientific disciplines
1Y + 6M funds

with PhD deg ⩽ 3Y before the call’s year

1/year
Nov

ÖAW L’Oréal Fellowships

medicine, natural & life sciences, and mathematics
6-12M projects

female scientists
with PhD deg ⩽ 4Y
AT nationals, or living in AT for the last 3Y

1/year
March

* justified career breaks can extend the eligibility window. Please consult us to discuss your case!
** personal deadlines apply, please consult us to discuss your case!

International schemes

Programme

Scope – Duration

Eligibility criteria

Calls & Key dates

EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships

biosciences,
2Y funds

with PhD deg ⩽ 2Y
@ ISTA for ⩽ 6M
in AT for ⩽ 6M in the last 18 M
⩾1 main author publ or referred pre-print

2 Evaluation cut-offs
2nd week of Feb and Aug

HFSP Long-Term Fellowships

life sciences (LS),
2 + 1Y funds

with PhD in the LS ⩽ 3Y
@ ISTA since April at the earliest
⩾1 lead author publ

1/year
2-stage deadlines:
May (Letter of Intent)
Oct (Full proposal)

HFSP Cross-disciplinary Fellowships

life sciences (LS),
2 + 1Y funds

with PhD out of the LS
no previous work in the LS
@ ISTA since April at the earliest
⩾1 lead author publ

1/year
2-stage deadlines:
May (Letter of Intent)
Oct (Full proposal)

MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships*

all scientific disciplines,
2Y (+ 6M***) funds

with PhD deg ⩽ 8Y**
@ ISTA or in AT for ⩽12 M in the last 36M

1/year
Sept

* part of the Horizon Europe programme of the European Commission
** exceptions may apply, e.g. for parental leave: please consult us to discuss your case
*** for proposals requesting non-academic placements

NOTE: For incoming postdocs, see also our competitive postdoctoral programmes under ISTA funds.

Fellowships around the world

Below are some funding opportunities your colleagues have profited from in Europe, Asia and America. Contact us if you do not see a suitable option or for further details.