With the #ConnectingMinds program, the Austrian Science Fund FWF encourages researchers to involve non-academic stakeholders in their research projects. Funding is available to teams that combine both academic and social knowledge and are applying them to help tackle social, technological, ecological, and economic challenges. The focus is on transdisciplinarity, innovative research approaches, and support for community engagement and collective learning spaces.
Target group
The program is aimed at consortia of 2 to 5 internationally outstanding researchers at one or more Austrian research institutions.
Funding goals
The goal of the program is to give researchers the opportunity to initiate cooperative research projects that combine academic and social knowledge (transdisciplinary research). Funding is available for projects focusing on highly relevant current and future social topics, which will generate new research findings while also possibly identifying solutions to complex challenges. As a result, knowledge from different groups of people in society is interlinked with research activities, strengthening the dialog between science and society. Funding researchers’ capacity-building in transdisciplinary research is intended to support the application of a methodologically sound transdisciplinary research process.
The program is divided into two phases:
In the first phase, 2 to 5 researchers can apply to conduct a #ConnectingMinds workshop. If their proposal is approved, the researchers can use this workshop to work together with the other project participants (including non-academic participants) to develop and advance their project idea and their planned research process for a #ConnectingMinds project.
The second phase is to submit the proposal for a #ConnectingMinds project based on the results of the workshop and to further elaborate the research project.
Information on the current call for proposals
For the current call, the FWF is supporting innovative #ConnectingMinds workshops and #ConnectingMinds projects with funding provided by the Fonds Zukunft Österreich as part of the thematic groups EU Missions, Sustainable Food Systems, and Building(s) Tomorrow. Research questions for this call must focus on the following topics:
EU Missions:
- Mission Cancer: Conquering Cancer – Mission Possible
- Mission Climate: A Climate-Resilient Europe
- Mission Cities: 100 Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030 – by and for the Citizens
- Mission Soil: Caring for Soil is Caring for Life
- Mission Starfish 2030: Restore our Ocean and Waters
Sustainable Food Systems
Buidling(s) Tomorrow
Funding period and funding amount
#ConnectingMinds workshop: 1–3 days
#ConnectingMinds workshop: maximum €12,000
#ConnectingMinds project: maximum 60 months
#ConnectingMinds project: maximum €1.25 million
