External Funding for Postdocs
The Grant Office supports postdocs in applying for fellowships. Next to workshops dedicated for the major fellowship schemes, it also provides 1-1 feedback on proposals. Make sure to get in touch with your GO officer at least one month before the deadline of a call. Otherwise the GO cannot guarantee effective support!
For more information go to the website of the Grant Office, the Grant Office wiki page and/or write to grants@ista.ac.at.
Why should you apply for a fellowship?
- Learning how to apply for third-party-funding is an essential skill as an academic; like any other skill it requires practice;
- Applying for fellowships typically helps you to reflect on your next career steps
- Fellowships are an ideal way towards your independence as a scientist
The most important funding opportunities for postdocs are:
National
- Elise Richter Fellowship from the Austria Science Fund
- fellowship for senior female postdocs working in Austria for more than 2 years or more than 3 years in the last 10
- research + career development (preparation for group leader positions) in all scientific disciplines
- duration: 12-48 months
- 2 calls per year: spring/autumn
ESPRIT Fellowship from the Austria Science Fund
- fellowship for junior postdocs with PhD degrees < 5 years
- research + career development in all scientific disciplines
- duration: 36 months
- continuous submission starting in April 2021
International
Marie-Curie-Skłodowska Postdoctoral Fellowship from the European Commission
- mobility fellowship for incoming or outgoing postdocs with max. 12 months in the host country
- research + training + career development in all scientific disciplines
- duration: 24 months
- 1 call per year, with deadline in October (New Framework Program: Horizon Europe)
EMBO Long-term Fellowship (LTF) from the European Molecular Biology Organization
- mobility fellowship for postdocs with PhD degrees < 2 years and less than 6 months at the host laboratory/ in the host country
- research in the life sciences
- duration: 24 months
- two evaluation cut-offs per year : February/August
HFSP Long-term Fellowship (LTF) and Cross-Disciplinary Fellowship (CDF) from the Human Frontier Science Program
- mobility fellowship for postdocs with PhD degrees < 3 years and at the host laboratory since 1 April (LTF: call’s year; CDF: year before) or later
- for frontier, potentially transformative research in the life sciences, significantly different from previous work
- duration: up to 36 months, transferrable to home country after 24 months
- 1 2-stage call per year. Deadlines: May (letter of intent); September (full proposal)