Early-stage Researchers Programme at the Faculty
The programme for promotion of early-stage researchers at the Faculty supports non-permanently employed, university-funded (“Stammpersonal”) postdocs and predocs, in particular through partial or full coverage of travel expenses to conferences, workshops and international events. This aims at giving young researchers the possibility to build and expand their individual networks and increase their employability perspectives.
Regarding scientific trips, early-stage researchers can apply for financial assistance for travel costs for up to a maximum of three trips per calendar year. Please apply for a specific Euro amount. Travel support is only granted for participation in events at which the applicant demonstrably presents his/her own research results. Participation in project meetings and in education and training events or courses is not eligible for funding. Funding per calendar year amounts to a maximum of:
- EUR 1,000 for predoc university assistants
- EUR 1,500 for postdoc university assistants
If the applicant is not employed by the Faculty as a predoc or postdoc university assistant for the entire calendar year, or if s/he is on leave, these amounts apply on a pro rata basis. Innitiatives / trips outside the eligible employment period cannot be funded. Financial support is limited to refunds of documented, eligible expenses; therefore lump sums cannot be taken into consideration. Not eligible are, for instance, expenses for meals (exceptions: overnight stays including breakfast and so-called “conference dinners” for networking purposes). In addition, subsequent debits of flight costs from the financing cost centre or internal order of the University of Vienna for reasons of sustainability are not eligible (see https://intra.univie.ac.at/en/sustainability).
Please send your application for this promotion programme to dekan.fgga@univie.ac.at at least two weeks before the start of the planned project, including an explanatory statement as well as supporting documents, e.g. letter of invitation or description of the conference / research activities. Due to the administrative effort, applications for less than EUR 100 cannot be taken into consideration.
The applicant accounts for its expenses for the approved initiative in due time via the subunit (covering the calendar year).The subunit pre-finances the share of funding approved by the Management of the Faculty. Of the expenses actually incurred, the Dean’s office will refund up to the (maximum) agreed amount of funding to the global budget cost centre of the subunit following the submission of a half-year report.
If any additional costs are invoiced via other sources (e.g. via third-party funded budgets), the applicant has to notify this source in an informal manner that s/he has been granted funding through the programme for Promotion of Early-Stage Researchers of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy and how much funding s/he received.
The programme is only available for university-funded staff („Stammpersonal“), but not for third-party-funded staff. This is since in the project proposal travel costs for early-stage researchers financed from third-party funds can be included.
Please note that in case of doubt the German version of this directive is binding.