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External funding opportunities
The Research Management team provides information on external research funding opportunities relevant to researchers at Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU) and the University Hospital Salzburg. This page is under construction and will be updated regularly.
We are also happy to offer personal guidance on funding options and can help you find the right opportunities for your project idea. To stay informed about specific calls and deadlines, register for the PMU Research Newsletter.
Overview
On this page you will soon find an overview graphic of PMU-relevant regional, national, and European/international research funding opportunities for all target groups. Please also take a look at the annual calendar with all currently open calls and their deadlines!
The career stages in the funding programs follow the European framework:
- R1: Pre-Doc / Up to the point of PhD
- R2: Early Postdoc / Young Researcher / Recognised Researcher
- R3: Senior Postdoc / Experienced Researcher / Established Researcher
- R4: Leading Researcher
Regional and national funding programs
The awarding of grants by the “Österreichische Krebshilfe Salzburg” association is intended to facilitate medical-scientific research in the province of Salzburg. The funding is intended to enable the expansion of existing scientific fields in Salzburg or to establish new scientific approaches, methods and procedures and generally raise the standard of medical-scientific research in Salzburg. The projects supported by the grant are to be carried out mainly in the province of Salzburg.
Applications to support diploma theses, dissertations and post-doctoral training are particularly suitable. The scholarship can be awarded for all fields of medicine, natural sciences and medical research. There must be a direct oncological connection, preferably with clinical or psycho-oncological relevance.
Since 2011, there has been cooperation between the Austrian Cancer Aid Association Salzburg and Paracelsus University on the Salzburg Cancer Aid Scholarship awarded by Cancer Aid. The application processing and assessment is carried out by the Review Board of Paracelsus Medical University (PMU) together with the Austrian Cancer Aid Salzburg.
The annual application deadline is September 15.
Please refer to the guidelines for more information.
The Science and Innovation Strategy of the State of Salzburg (WISS 2030) is a sub-strategy of the Salzburg 2035 location strategy and implements the European concept of intelligent specialization of the location and knowledge-led regional development (S3, Smart Specialization).
All specific goals and requirements are defined in four programs:
- Program 1: Strengthening the RTI structure
- Program 2: Cooperative & individual RTI projects
- Program 3: Development and expansion of R&D infrastructure (currently in preparation)
- Program 4: (Co)-financing of federal and EU programs (currently in preparation)
Relatively low-threshold funding is possible via the “impulse projects” of the first program track. Impulse projects provide ongoing funding for activities that lay the foundations for larger RTI research projects. Impulse projects are RTI activities (small projects) relating to the further development of ideas as well as feasibility studies and exploratory studies, for example to increase the chances of success in higher-value federal and EU programs.
The legal basis for all funding is the RTI Framework Directive (AGVO) 2023-2027 and the General Guideline for the Granting of Subsidies of the Province of Salzburg.
Principal Investigator Projects
- Submission: possible on an ongoing basis
- Career stage: R1, R2, R3, R4
- Individual, flexible and long-term research
- Submission: possible on an ongoing basis
- Career stage: R2, R3, R4
- Conducting researcher driven clinical studies
Principal Investigator Projects - International
- Submission: Country-specific
- Career stage: R1, R2, R3, R4
- International, individual, flexible and long-term research
ESPRIT - Early-Stage-Programme: Research–Innovation–Training
- Submission: possible on an ongoing basis
- Career stage: R2
- Skills development and career advancement
- Submission: possible on an ongoing basis
- Career stage: R2, R3
- Career-promoting stays at international research institutions
- Submission: recurring deadlines
- Career stage: R3
- For advanced postdocs with excellent research
- Submission: currently not possible
- Career stage: R2, R3, R4
- New, bold or original research ideas
- Submission: recurring deadlines
- Career stage: R2, R3, R4
- Smaller multi- or interdisciplinary research teams at several locations
- Submission: recurring deadlines
- Career stage: R2, R3, R4
- Multi- or interdisciplinary research teams at several locations
- Submission: recurring deadlines
- Career level: R2, R3, R4
- Connecting scientific and social knowledge (Third Mission; Citizen Science)
- Submission deadline: recurring deadlines
- Career stage: R1, R2, R3, R4
- Making research and its results visible
- Submission: possible on an ongoing basis (please contact PMU University Library)
- Career level: R1, R2, R3, R4
- Funding for OA publications from funded FWF projects
BRIDGE - Basic research projects by consortia and partners from scientific research and the commercializing industry
COIN Cooperation & Innovation - Stimulating the research and innovation activities of companies, strengthening the RTI structures of research institutions
COMET - Application-oriented cutting-edge research at the highest level
In addition to financial support, the FFG offers a wide range of services - for example
- Travel Grants,
- Idea Checks,
- Trainings or
- consultations as a national contact point for the research programs of the European Union.
DOC - Fellowship - The doctoral program of the ÖAW
L’ORÉAL Austria - Fellowship for young female basic researchers
APART-MINT - Fellowship for excellent young scientists in the natural and life sciences
MAX KADE - USA Fellowship for 12 months
Scientific and Technical Cooperation (STC) - Bilateral, international cooperation projects
Marietta Blau Grant (Outgoing) - Doctoral students conduct research abroad for 6-12 months
Ernst Mach Grant - Worldwide (Incoming) - Students and lecturers from foreign universities with a study or research stay in Austria
- Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute
- Changing calls for proposals
- Clinical Research Groups (KFG) and thematic calls, e.g: Cancer Mission Labs (LBG OIS Center)
Christian Doppler Society - The CDG's funding programs link science and industry; the Christian Doppler Laboratory is designed for long-term cooperation in the field of excellent research
- International communication: travel funds for trips abroad and for inviting scientists to Austria
Austrian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (ÖGMBT)
B&C Private Foundation - Houska Prize - Austria's largest private prize for applied research
EU- and international funding programs
Open calls within the Cluster Health framework are found on the Funding & Tenders Portal, with upcoming calls listed on the European Commission's website.
The topics of these calls are organized into "Destinations," which are essentially action plans aimed at achieving the expected outcomes.
Destinations
- Staying healthy in a rapidly changing society
- Living and working in a health-promoting environment
- Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden
- Ensuring access to innovative, sustainable and high quality health care
- Unlocking the full potential of new tools, technologies and digital solutions for a healthy society
- Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health-related industry
Each "Destination" is implemented through the launch of specific calls.
If you are interested in a particular topic area, be sure to contact early to get more detailed information about upcoming calls.
There are different types of calls:
- Research and Innovation Actions (RIA): Focuses on generating new knowledge and developing new or improved technologies, products, processes, services, or solutions (including both basic and applied research).
- Innovation Action (IA): Aims at creating plans, arrangements, or designs for new, modified, or improved products, processes, or services (including prototyping, demonstration, piloting, and product validation).
- Coordination and Support Action (CSA): Focuses on activities other than research and innovation, such as standardization, dissemination, awareness-raising, communication, networking, coordination, support services, and policy dialogues.
Project applications must be submitted as part of a consortium (excluding CSA), which must include at least three independent legal entities, each based in a different EU Member State or associated country, with at least one entity located in a Member State.
To help find potential project partners, the European Commission provides a partner search platform. The Research Management team is also happy to assist you in this process.
Regular Info Days, including extensive Q&A sessions, are held for the Health Cluster. Recordings of these sessions are available.
Missions
The new European Research and Innovation Missions address some of the greatest challenges of our time, aiming to develop visible solutions within a defined time and budget framework. If you are interested, contact for more details.
Info Days are also regularly held for the Missions, with recordings available for all sessions.
Close to the Info Days, a joint Brokerage Event for the Health Cluster and the Cancer Mission is typically organized by the network of Health National Contact Points (registration required). This event is a valuable opportunity, especially for newcomers, to register with their expertise profile, select topics of interest, book short 1:1 meetings, or even present project ideas through pitches.
The European Research Council (ERC) aims to promote the highest quality research in Europe through competitive funding, supporting pioneering research across all fields based on scientific excellence.
ERC Starting Grant - Researchers applying for an ERC Starting Grant must have already demonstrated their potential for scientific independence and maturity.
ERC Consolidator Grant - Applicants for the ERC Consolidator Grant must present a promising scientific track record and an excellent research project proposal.
ERC Advanced Grant - Applicants for the ERC Advanced Grant must have made significant research contributions over the past 10 years. Principal Investigators (PIs) should be outstanding in terms of the originality and importance of their research.
ERC Synergy Grant - This grant supports researchers tackling a complex research problem that cannot be addressed by their team alone.
ERC Proof of Concept Grant - All PIs involved in an ERC project, either ongoing or completed less than 12 months before January 1 of the previous year, are eligible to apply for the ERC Proof of Concept Grant. This grant aims to translate applied research into societal and economic innovations.
MSCA Doctoral Networks - An international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral consortium develops a joint research training program for PhD candidates.
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Aims to enhance the creative and innovative potential of researchers by offering opportunities to acquire new skills through training, and international, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral mobility.
MSCA Staff Exchanges - Supports innovative international, cross-sectoral, and interdisciplinary collaboration in research and innovation by facilitating staff exchanges and promoting the sharing of knowledge and ideas across all stages of the innovation chain.
MSCA COFUND - Co-finances new or existing doctoral and postdoctoral programs at the national, regional, or international level.
MSCA and Citizens - Through initiatives like the European Researchers' Night (similar to "The Long Night of Research"), this program aims to bring research and researchers closer to the general public.
Interreg Austria - Bavaria - This program focuses on fostering cross-border cooperation and cohesion within the region, addressing local challenges through targeted funding priorities. It emphasizes applied research in partnership with non-university collaborators.
Interreg Alpine Space - This program places a special emphasis on tbe thematic priorities of the Alpine region.
European Partnerships - European Partnerships are collaborative frameworks between the European Commission, EU member states, the private sector, and other stakeholders. The goal is to address global challenges and drive industrial innovation through coordinated research and development efforts.
Innovative Health Initiative - IHI is a European partnership between the European Commission and key industry associations within the life sciences sector. It features various calls for proposals, which change periodically.
Digital Europe - Focusing on creating the digital infrastructure necessary for modern health systems, Digital Europe works in synergy with other funding programs and complements their efforts.
EU4Health - EU4Health is designed to enhance the crisis preparedness of health systems across the EU. It serves as a framework for various life sciences funding opportunities and works in synergy with other funding programs.
COST - European Cooperation in Science & Technology - COST supports multi-year research and innovation networks, as well as researcher mobility, helping to foster collaboration across Europe.
AXA Post-Doctoral Fellowship - The AXA Fellowship is a funding program aimed at supporting young, promising researchers working on a priority topic aligned with AXA's mission and societal needs.
AXA Chair - The AXA Chair is a funding program from the AXA Research Fund designed to support excellent and established researchers by creating a full-time academic position at an institution.
Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers - This fellowship allows highly qualified early-career researchers from abroad to conduct research stays in Germany.
Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers - This fellowship supports highly qualified researchers from abroad in conducting research stays in Germany.
DFG - Walter Benjamin Program - The Walter Benjamin Program enables postdoctoral researchers to independently implement their own research project at a location of their choice, including outside of Germany.
KlarText Award for Scientific Communication - This award challenges researchers to write a popular science article for readers without prior knowledge, explaining their doctoral research in a clear, engaging, and accessible way.
Peter and Traudl Engelhorn Foundation - This foundation supports outstanding young scientists in the life sciences by awarding postdoctoral fellowships.
Christoph Lohfert Foundation - The annual Lohfert Prize supports projects aimed at improving communication and patient-centered care in healthcare.
International Foundation for Research in Paraplegia - The IRP's mission is to provide funding for basic and clinical research on spinal cord injury both domestically and internationally.
By target group
The following programs are particularly suitable for early-career researchers (R1: Pre-Doc / Up to the point of PhD). Participation in externally-funded research projects with a different primary focus, especially project-based funding, is also possible (please clarify details with your PhD supervisor, institute director, or PMU's research management).
Austrian Academy of Sciences (Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, ÖAW)
- DOC - Fellowship - the doctoral program of the ÖAW
- L’ORÉAL Austria - fellowship for young female basic researchers
Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation (Österreichische Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung, OeAD)
- Marietta Blau Fellowship (Outgoing) - for PhD students to conduct research abroad for 6-12 months.
Austrian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Molekularbiologie und Biotechnologie, ÖGMBT)
European Union | Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions
- MSCA Doctoral Networks - PhD positions within international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral consortia for joint research training programs are posted on platforms like Euraxess.
KlarText
- KlarText-Prize for scientific communication - The goal is to write a popular science article that explains the PhD research to a general audience in a clear, engaging, and easy-to-understand way..
The following programs are particularly suitable for early-career researchers in the first few years after completing their PhD (R2: Early Postdoc / Young Researcher / Recognized Researcher). Participation in externally funded research projects with a different primary focus—especially project-based funding—is also possible (please clarify details with the PMU Research Management). Funding through mobility grants is also a potential option!
FWF - Austrian Science Fund
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW) - Austrian Academy of Science
- L’ORÉAL Österreich - fellowship for young female basic researchers
- APART-MINT - fellowship for outstanding young scientists
- MAX KADE - 12-month fellowship for research stays in the USA
Europäische Union | European Research Council (ERC)
- ERC Starting Grant - Applicants must demonstrate potential for scientific independence and maturity.
Europäische Union | Marie Sklodowska Curie-Actions
- MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Supports the development of creative and innovative researchers through training, international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility.
AXA Research Fund
- AXA Post-Doctoral Fellowship - A program designed to support young, promising researchers working on priority topics aligned with AXA and societal interests.
Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation (Germany)
- Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Enables highly qualified young researchers from abroad, at the beginning of their academic careers, to undertake research stays in Germany.
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation
- DFG - Walter Benjamin-Program - Supports researchers in the post-PhD qualification phase in independently carrying out their own research project at a location of their choice, even outside Germany.
The following programs place a particular focus on female researchers and, in some cases, are exclusively for women (R2: Early Postdoc / Young Researcher / Recognized Researcher, as well as R3: Senior Postdoc / Experienced Researcher / Established Researcher; in some cases, R4). Additionally, aspects of gender, diversity, and inclusion are gaining increasing importance in many funding programs. A diverse research team not only enhances research success but also offers advantages when applying for external funding.
FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung) - Austrian Science Fund
- Elise Richter Programm (Senior PostDoc | R3)
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW) - Austrian Academy of Science
- L’ORÉAL Österreich - Fellowship for young female basic researchers
AXA Research Fund
- AXA Chair - supports excellent and established researchers by creating a full-time academic position within an institution.
Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation (Germany)
Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers - enables highly qualified researchers from abroad to conduct research stays in Germany.
FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung) - Austrian Science Fund
- Erwin-Schrödinger-Programm (R2, R3)
- Elise Richter Programm (Senior PostDoc | R3)
Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW) - Austrian Academy of Science
- MAX KADE - 12-month fellowship for research stays in the USA
Österreichische Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung (OeAD) - Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation
- Marietta Blau Fellowship (Outgoing) - for PhD students to conduct research abroad for 6-12 months
- Ernst Mach Fellowship - Weltweit (Incoming) - for students and lecturers from foreign universities to study or conduct research in Austria
Österreichische Gesellschaft für Molekularbiologie und Biotechnologie (ÖGMBT) - Austrian Society for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
European Union | Marie Sklodowska Curie-Actions
- MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - fostering the creative and innovative potential of researchers by providing training and supporting international, interdisciplinary, and intersectoral mobility.
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation
- Walter Benjamin-Program - enables researchers in the post-PhD qualification phase to independently conduct their own research project at a location of their choice, including outside Germany
Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation (Germany)
- Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - allows highly qualified young researchers from abroad, at the beginning of their academic careers, to conduct research stays in Germany
- Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers - allows highly qualified researchers from abroad to conduct research stays in Germany.
Pure material resource funding is unfortunately not available in most research programs and calls, and is typically only granted as part of a larger research project. If you have further questions, please contact the PMU Research Management.
However, relatively low-threshold funding is available through "Impulse Projects" in the first program stream of WISS2030 (funding from the State of Salzburg). Impulse Projects support activities that lay the foundation for larger R&D projects. These projects focus on developing ideas, feasibility studies, and exploratory activities to increase the chances of success in higher-level national and EU programs.
Databases of funding opportunities
grants.at is Austria's largest free online database for scholarships and research funding across all scientific fields. The funding opportunities for students, graduates, and researchers range from traditional scholarships and grants to awards and comprehensive national, European, and international research funding programs.
Förderkompass is a free service provided by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology (BMK). It includes all regional, national, and EU funding opportunities in the field of applied technological research.
