Early Postdoc Fellowship 2026

Deadline: Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026, 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 FWF (ESPRIT funding program) or 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 5 years. That means when submitting for the Early Postdoc Fellowship you should not have received your doctorate more than 2, respectively 4 years ago (depending on the funding program).
  • have at least two international and quality-assured publications in line with high international standards (minimum status when applying for the fellowship: accepted).
  • 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. six months.
  • The accompanying program for the scholarship includes coaching, participation is obligatory. This coaching supports working on a career and mentoring plan and is taliored to the respective funding guidelines.
  • The amount of the scholarship is 4,500 euros. The scholarship must be repaid if it is drawn in breach of the guidelines.
  • The payment of the scholarship is made in installments and is linked to three milestones. 
    • Milestone 1: a kick-off meeting, the submission of a time plan for the duration of the fellowship
    • Milestone 2: the submission of 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 body
  • Two fellowships can be awarded in total. 
Submission

Applications must be submitted in English.

The submission includes

  • a completed application form
  • the following documents in PDF format: 
    • Draft of your project (max. 5 pages, plus max. 1 page reference list, structured according to the proposal structure of the selected postdoctoral funding program)
    • 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 fellowsip 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, reviewers usually recommend not choosing the dissertation supervisor as a mentor. Employment at the academy is obligatory for the mentor.

With the electronic submission, you confirm the completeness and correctness of the given information. You agree to participate at the accompanying program for the scholarship, which requires partial presence in Vienna.

Deadline

Tuesday, 15 September 2026, 11 h

Selection and Award

All applications will run through a peer review process with two 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.
  • External reviewers examine the application 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. Two written expert reports will be prepared for each application. They include the criteria above as well as an assessment of the expected success of the project application submitted to the respective funding program.
  • The jury is composed of researchers with experience in third-party funding at the Academy. This jury will examine the quality of the entire 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 expert reviews serve as the basis for the jury's decision.
  • The decision meeting of the jury is expected to take place in January 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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