Ernst Mach Grant Worldwide 2027/28 in Austria

The Ernst Mach Grant Worldwide is an Austrian research mobility programme for young researchers who are studying or conducting academic research outside Austria and would like to undertake a short research project at an Austrian university.

The programme is administered by OeAD – Austria’s Agency for Education and Internationalisation – and financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research.

The 2027/28 call is open to researchers from all academic disciplines and countries except Austria. Eligible groups include doctoral students enrolled outside Austria, eligible postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers, and postdocs working as lecturers or researchers at universities outside Austria.

Successful applicants undertake a research stay in Austria lasting between one and nine months. This is a visiting research grant and is not intended to finance a complete Master’s or PhD degree in Austria.

Applicants do not need to enrol as regular students at an Austrian university. However, they must secure an Austrian academic supervisor before applying and obtain the required written confirmation of supervision.

All Austrian universities are eligible to host Ernst Mach Grant researchers. Research at another Austrian research institution may sometimes be possible, but OeAD assesses such cases individually and the supervisor must have a university teaching affiliation.

The current call covers research stays during the Austrian academic year 2027/28, with the earliest possible start in September 2027.

• Applicants must be young researchers from a country other than Austria.
• Applicants must not be older than 35 when their research stay begins.
• Doctoral applicants must be pursuing a PhD or doctoral programme outside Austria.
• Postgraduates and postdocs seeking a research stay towards an academic career must have completed their studies at a university outside Austria after 30 September 2025.
• Postdocs working as lecturers or researchers at a university outside Austria may apply.
• Applicants may come from any academic discipline.
• Applicants must not be regular students at an Austrian university.
• Applicants must not be permanently resident in Austria.
• Applicants must not have completed most of their academic education in Austria.
• Applicants must not have lived, studied, conducted research or undertaken academic work in Austria during the six months immediately before starting the grant.
• Applicants must obtain written confirmation of academic supervision from an Austrian university lecturer.
• Applicants should have sufficient English-language ability for their research field.
• The Austrian academic supervisor must confirm that a project being conducted in English can be carried out in English.

• €1,300 monthly research grant.
• Funding for 1–9 months.
• Research experience at an Austrian university.
• Access to Austrian academic and research environments.
• Opportunity to develop international research collaborations.
• Academic supervision from an Austrian university lecturer.
• OeAD assistance with arranging accommodation.
• OeAD assistance with arranging health insurance.
• Opportunity to build professional and academic networks in Austria.
• Research mobility across all academic disciplines.

Applicants should prepare:

• Valid biometric passport.
• Written confirmation of supervision from an Austrian university lecturer.
• Letters of recommendation.
• University graduation certificate or relevant academic qualification documents.
• Confirmation of current PhD enrolment for doctoral applicants.
• Confirmation of university employment where applicable for postdoctoral researchers or lecturers.
• Information describing the planned research activities through the online application.
• Original documents together with an English or German translation where documents are issued in another language.

The supervisor confirmation must use the official OeAD template and include the required date, signature and institutional confirmation.

Letters of recommendation must include:

• Institutional letterhead.
• Date.
• Signature of the referee.
• University or department stamp.

The letters must not be older than six months when the application is submitted.

• Formal eligibility and completeness assessment.
• Evaluation by experts from the applicant’s academic field.
• Assessment of the submitted research application.
• Final consideration by the selection committee.
• Selection of the strongest applications based on expert evaluations.

• Conduct research at an Austrian university.
• Gain international academic experience.
• Work with an Austrian academic supervisor.
• Develop research skills and expertise.
• Build international research collaborations.
• Strengthen an academic or research career.
• Access Austrian university research environments.
• Expand professional and academic networks.
• Undertake research in any academic discipline.
• Gain experience relevant to future academic opportunities.