Herta and Kurt Blaukopf Award 2026
for outstanding dissertations at the mdw

Application Deadline: 21 January 2026

For the fourth time, the Research Support of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna announces the Herta & Kurt Blaukopf Award for outstanding dissertations at the mdw. The award serves to highlight extraordinary achievements in the context of academic doctoral studies and to support early-stage researchers in their subsequent academic careers.

The Herta & Kurt Blaukopf Award is granted by a interdisciplinary internal jury under the chairmanship of the Dean of Research Studies on the basis of independent external evaluations. A total of 10.000 EUR will be awarded to the selected dissertations. The award is presented by the Rector of mdw on 17 June 2026 a formal ceremony.

Please note the following submission criteria:

  • The dissertation must have been prepared as part of the scientific doctoral programme at mdw.
  • The successful doctoral defence was passed with distinction between 1 October 2023 and 21 January 2026.
  • The dissertation must not have already been submitted under a previous call for applications for the Herta & Kurt Blaukopf Award.

The content-related criteria for the award are:

  • The research question must display originality.
  • The dissertation is relevant within the scientific research context and/or with regard to current socio-political issues.
  • The theoretical and methodological approach of the dissertation is of high quality in regard to the research question.

Please submit the completed application form, the dissertation, its assessment and an academic CV including a list of publications (max. 3 pages) via online form by latest 21 January 2026.

About Herta and Kurt Blaukopf Award 

 

 

Further Information

Research Support Office

Anton-von-Webern-Platz 1
1030 Wien
1. Stock, Raum B 01 23
Tel. +43 1 711 55-6101

forschungsfoerderung@mdw.ac.at