Research Funding

An overview for anyone who wants to do a doctorate (PhD), a postdoc or a research project at the Department of Music Physiology of mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna: current mdw students and graduates, and researchers from Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and other European countries. The list runs from small grants for a few weeks to large European networks.

This is an orientation aid only. Deadlines, amounts and eligibility rules change regularly; the current call of each funder is always binding.

Last updated: October 2026

How to get funded at mdw: four routes

  • A paid position in a funded project. Most doctoral and postdoctoral researchers are employed in projects funded by FWF, the EU or other bodies. Contact potential supervisors early and ask about running or planned projects.
  • Your own fellowship or project. You apply yourself (e.g. ÖAW DOC, FWF ESPRIT, MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships) with mdw as host institution. You will need a letter of support from your future supervisor or host.
  • Mobility funding from your home institution or country. If you are enrolled or employed elsewhere, you can often come to mdw for a few days up to a year with Erasmus+, SEMP, DAAD, DFG, SNSF or similar programmes.
  • Networks and collaborative projects. COST Actions, Weave/Lead Agency projects and EU consortia fund cooperation between several institutions, including short research visits.

First points of contact

Small grants and short stays (days to months)

Ideal for a first contact, a pilot measurement in our lab, joint data analysis or preparing a larger application.

  • Erasmus+ short-term mobility for doctoral candidates – short research or study stays at a partner institution in another programme country. Apply at the international office of your home university.
  • Erasmus+ traineeship for graduates – apply at your home university before your final exam; the traineeship must be completed within twelve months after graduation. A good way to spend some months in a research lab between Master's and PhD.
  • Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) – short international intensive courses with a virtual component, also offered at mdw
  • COST Actions – Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM) – research visits to another institution participating in the same COST Action; PhD students and early career investigators are given priority. The grant is a contribution towards travel and subsistence. Members of any COST Action can apply; joining an Action is open to researchers from all participating countries.
  • mdw international mobility funding for early stage researchers – for mdw members going to conferences or research stays abroad, rolling applications
  • CLARIAH-AT – small grants for early career researchers in Austria (e.g. travel grants, software licences), rolling

Doctorate / PhD at mdw

mdw

Austria (open to all nationalities doing their doctorate in Austria)

  • ÖAW DOC (Austrian Academy of Sciences) – fellowship for doctoral candidates in all fields, 24 to 36 months. The Master's degree must have been completed no more than two years before the reference date (1 January of the year of application). Annual deadline 15 September. Applications in the natural sciences, medicine and psychology must be written in English.
  • ÖAW Mannagetta completion grants – for finishing a dissertation (2026: deadline 20 October)
  • FWF doc.funds – structured doctoral programmes with paid doctoral positions. The institution applies; candidates apply for the advertised positions. FWF funding portfolio
  • IFK Junior Fellowships – International Research Center for Cultural Studies, for doctoral candidates in cultural studies
  • Theodor Körner Prizes – for young researchers and artists (including composition), for work in progress; usually due end of March. Bachelor's and Master's theses are not eligible.

European

  • MSCA Doctoral Networks – fully funded doctoral positions advertised across Europe; candidates must usually move country

Postdoc and research projects at mdw

FWF – Austrian Science Fund

FWF funding is open to researchers of any nationality who carry out their project at an Austrian research institution such as mdw. The FWF has completely restructured its career programmes since 2021. Overview: FWF funding portfolio and the FWF page of the mdw Research Support Office.

  • ESPRIT – career programme for early-stage postdocs with their own research project. Many ESPRIT fellows come to Austria from abroad. At least half of the projects are awarded to women.
  • FWF ASTRA Awards – for advanced postdocs, €0.5 to 1 million; one call per year
  • Principal Investigator Projects – open-topic project funding for all career stages after the doctorate
  • 1000 Ideas – for new, high-risk or highly original research ideas, 6 to 24 months, €50,000 to €175,000
  • PEEK – Programme for Arts-based Research
  • Erwin Schrödinger – for researchers based in Austria who want to go abroad, with a return phase

ÖAW and mdw

European

Coming from Germany

  • DFG Walter Benjamin Programme – early-career postdocs carry out their own project at a host institution of their choice, in Germany or abroad. Abroad, funding is a fellowship; integration into the German research system is required. Usually up to two years, no deadlines.
  • DAAD research grants for doctoral candidates – research stays abroad of 1 to 12 months for doctoral candidates enrolled at a German university. Two application windows per year (2026: 1 October to 16 November).
  • Alexander von Humboldt Foundation – the Feodor Lynen Research Fellowship funds postdocs from Germany abroad; the host must be a Humboldt alumna or alumnus
  • Lead Agency projects DFG–FWF – joint German-Austrian research projects under the Weave scheme, reviewed by one agency and funded by both. FWF international collaborations
  • Erasmus+ – all Erasmus+ formats via your German university (see above)

Coming from Italy and South Tyrol

  • Erasmus+ – study, traineeship and short-term mobility via your Italian university; information in Italian: Erasmus+ Italia
  • Italian doctoral programmes (dottorato di ricerca): doctoral scholarships in Italy are usually increased for periods spent abroad. Ask your doctoral school about a funded research period at mdw.
  • Cotutelle / joint supervision – a doctorate supervised jointly by an Italian university and mdw, with a double degree. This requires an agreement between both institutions; please contact us early.
  • Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol – study grants for students from South Tyrol studying abroad, scholarships for postgraduate education (borsa di studio per la formazione postuniversitaria), and mobility grants for researchers
  • FWF – South Tyrol joint projects – Austrian-South Tyrolean research projects reviewed by the FWF as lead agency and funded separately on both sides. Please check the current status of the call with the FWF.

Coming from Switzerland

  • Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP) – the Swiss counterpart to Erasmus+ for study and traineeship stays in Europe, run by Movetia. Switzerland is aiming to be associated with Erasmus+ from 2027.
  • SNSF Postdoc.Mobility – research stays abroad for postdocs. The SNSF is reforming its career funding: the last Postdoc.Mobility deadline is August 2027, and a new postdoctoral scheme follows from 2028.
  • Doc.Mobility – some Swiss universities offer their own mobility grants for doctoral candidates; ask your research office
  • FWF–SNSF Weave projects – closely integrated Austrian-Swiss research projects; a third partner country can be included

Other EU countries

  • Erasmus+ – all formats via your home institution
  • Weave – the FWF runs lead agency projects with several European research funders (e.g. Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Poland). FWF international collaborations
  • CEEPUS – mobility network for Central and South-Eastern Europe, including Austria
  • OeAD scholarships for incoming researchers – including Ernst Mach grants for specific countries and regions

European networks and large projects

  • COST Actions – research networks across Europe; funding covers meetings, training schools, conference grants and short research stays, not salaries. A low-threshold way into international networks.
  • IN.TUNE – European university alliance of music universities, of which mdw is a member; joint courses, BIPs and projects
  • Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships – multi-year projects of several European institutions, e.g. on teaching musicians' health
  • MSCA Staff Exchanges – exchange of staff between consortium partners within a joint project
  • Horizon Europe – collaborative research consortia (e.g. Cluster 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”, Cluster 1 “Health”)
  • Creative Europe – for artistic and cultural cooperation projects

Women, gender and diversity

City of Vienna

Overview (in German): Research funding in Vienna – institutions, funds and foundations