Earth System Sciences (ESS), an initiative of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) financed by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), seeks to research the Earth as a system, presently against the background of Sustainable Development Goals. To complement its existing funding profile, this programme supports inter- and transdisciplinary projects on topics on which very little research currently exists and which represent pioneering areas of research. Consideration will also be given to high-risk-high-potential projects. Important goals of recruitment in 2018 are increasing the initiative’s profile and transdisciplinary project work, e.g. via cooperation between two or several project leaders (PIs) from different fields of expertise. Since the UN has announced the International Decade (2018–2028) for Action – Water for Sustainable Development, the focus is on the topic of "Water in Mountain Regions" as an interdisciplinary subject. Research projects should be embedded within the interdisciplinary context of mountain regions. They should contribute the development of the Austrian university and research area and use existing long-term research facilities and infrastructure.

Principles

The research projects are to be embedded in the context of the interdisciplinary research of mountain regions. Project proposals should
● be inter- and transdisciplinary;
● provide an impulse for international research programmes and strategies;
● promote development and cooperation on the university and research level;
● contribute to the realisation of Agenda 2030 in Austria;
● promote discussion with the public;
● in the case of long-term projects, make use of existing sites and facilities for long-term research (e.g. LTER sites, biosphere reserves, geoparks, national parks, experimental drainage basins).
The projects must give consideration to the latest status of research in the relevant research fields and moreover develop innovative findings. They must meet the existing scientific standards and have a problem-solving orientation (including of practical nature).

Application procedure

Project proposals must meet the standards of international research. Young researchers are expressly encouraged to submit project proposals. Collaboration with international partners is welcome, but the project leadership must reside in Austria. A maximum total of 25 % of funding may go to foreign partners; there must be valid reasons for providing funds to foreign project partners.
The total cost of the project may not exceed € 500,000. The maximum duration is three years. If a project is planned as a long-term study extending beyond the three-year period, this must be indicated in the project proposal together with the intended duration. Since the budget only allows project funding for a maximum of three years, potential long-term studies should be planned in such a way that they can be concluded with exploitable results after three years. In order to allow international assessment, proposals must be submitted in English.
The interdisciplinary nature of the project should be made clear in the proposal by stating two or more project leaders from different specialist fields. To this end, the application form contains the rubric “Principal investigators (PIs)” and “Responsible Pl”, since the contract can only be concluded with a single person, the “responsible Pl”. This lead applicant (“responsible Pl”) must work at an Austrian research institution. The transdisciplinary nature of the project should be made clear by stating institutions and/or persons with practical experiences as well as the methodological approach (e.g. Citizen science, Crowdsourcing).