Early Postdoc Fellowship 2027

Deadline: Tuesday, February 16th, 2027, 11:00am

submission form

The Early Postdoc Fellowship aims to support early-career postdocs in preparing their first postdoctoral research project application. This fellowship enables the intensive preparation of a project proposal, which will be submitted with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna as the home institution to funding agencies like the FWF (ESPRIT funding program) or the OeAW (APART-GSK funding program). 

Requirements

This call is open to all postdocs who 

  • are at an early career stage: Please read the eligibility criteria of the respective funding bodies and programs carefully. For OeAW APART-GSK it is possible to submit up to a maximum of 3 years after receipt of the doctorate, for FWF ESPRIT up to a maximum of 4 years. That means when submitting for the Early Postdoc Fellowship you should not have received your doctorate more than 2, respectively 3 years ago (depending on the funding program).
  • have at least two quality-assured, internationally visible publications in the last 5 years (minimum status when applying for the fellowship: accepted for publication).
  • can convincingly convey that the successful finalization of the application to a funding agency is possible during the duration of the fellowship.
Description
  • The fellowship begins upon award and can be sourced over a period of max. 6 months. It consists of financial support in the form of a stipend and an accompanying program.
  • As part of the fellowship, external coaching is offered, participation in Vienna is obligatory. The coaching serves personal career planning and supports working on a career and mentoring plan, tailored to the respective funding program.
  • The amount of the stipend is 4,500 euros. 
  • The payment of the stipend is made in installments and is linked to 3 milestones. 
    • Milestone 1: a kick-off meeting, the submission of a time plan for the duration of the fellowship, a check of the formal requirements with the respective funding agency
    • Milestone 2: the submission of a draft project proposal, a career and mentoring plan, and the completion of the coaching
    • Milestone 3: the submission of the project application to the funding agency
  • Two fellowships can be awarded in total. 
  • The stipend must be repaid if it is drawn in breach of the guidelines.
Submission

Applications must be submitted in English.

The submission includes

  • a completed application form
  • the following documents in PDF format: 
    • Expose of your project (max. 5 pages, plus max. 1 page reference list) with the following obligatory sections: 1) state of the art of the relevant international research, 2) clearly defined aims and hypothesis/hypotheses or research question(s) of the project, 3) methods
    • Abstract of your project idea (max ½ a page)
    • CV, including publication list and further research achievements (max. 3 pages)
    • Detailed work and time plan for the duration of the fellowship until the submission of the project application (max. 2 pages). Applicants must clearly demonstrate that the work on a project proposal can be successfully completed within the fellowship period.
    • Certificate of PhD/doctoral degree
    • A mentor's confirmation (filled in and signed PDF template). The choice of a mentor is an important step for new collaborations and in opening up new contexts. Therefore, it is recommended not to choose the dissertation supervisor as a mentor. Employment at the academy is obligatory for the mentor.

With the electronic submission, you confirm that the information provided is correct, and you agree that the application may be released to peer-review. You also agree to take part in the accompanying program during the fellowship period. The accompanying program requires you to be present in Vienna.

Deadline

Tuesday, 16 February 2027, 11 h

Selection and Award

All applications will run through a peer review process with 2 expert reports. A jury decides on the awarding of the fellowship. The process is as follows:

  • The application is formally checked by Art | Research | Support.
  • Two external reviewers examine the application and prepare written expert reports. The application is assessed with regard to innovation, originality, and quality of the research project in an international research context, the stringency of the chosen methods and their feasibility, the applicant's previous academic curriculum vitae, as well as how the offered mentoring will have a positive impact on the productivity and development of the applicant’s career. Additionally, the expected success of the project application submitted to the respective funding program is assessed.
  • The jury is composed of researchers with experience in third-party funding at the Academy. The jury will examine the quality of the entire fellowship application as well as the feasibility of completing the project application for submission to a funding program. The formal check of Art | Research | Support as well as the external peer reviews serve as the basis for the jury's decision.
  • The decision meeting of the jury is expected to take place in May 2027.
  • There is no legal entitlement to the award of the fellowship through the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Incomplete applications and submissions after the deadline cannot be considered for funding. 

For further information please contact Katharina Meissl (k.meissl@akbild.ac.at, +43 1 588 16-1118)

submission form

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