Austrian Life Sciences therefore pursues the following goals:
(1) Increasing Austria’s attractiveness as a research location
High development costs, long development times and great technological development risks are particular challenges faced by companies in the Life Sciences sector. In order to meet these challenges and maintain Austria’s attractiveness as a research and development location for companies, relevant funding opportunities are needed along the entire value chain. Research and development (R&D) of new, effective, high quality, safe, as well as available and affordable medicines and medical devic es which address unmet public health needs are key to public healthcare provision. To prevent a brain drain and increase Austria’s attractiveness as a research location, funding must be available to cover both early as well as later development phases.
(2) Increasing Austria’s competitiveness as a location for clinical studies
Clinical studies are a key component in translating new medical findings to healthcare practice. They contribute to an efficient and effective healthcare system focused on the needs of the patient and society as a whole and stimulate a competitive healthcare sector.
In view of the falling number of applications for drug studies, it is important to create an awareness among all stakeholders that global pharmaceutical companies select clinical study centres on the basis of international competition. As the priority always lies in patient benefits and safety, the regulatory requirements in the Life Sciences industry mean that, compared to other industries, drug development is not only a long-winded process, but also complex, risky, and above all, capital intensive. When selecting study centres and locations, some of the most important factors for companies in the Life Sciences industry include rapid implementation, reliability, patient numbers and quality, plus attractive financing options.
Topics and project running times
- Digitalisation of health aspects (diagnostics, telemedicine, medical devices etc.)
- Development of new, effective, high-quality, safe, available and affordable medicines and medical devices
- Interventional phase I and II clinical studies and clinical trials of medical devices in accordance with EU regulations
- Flagship Projects in the field of clinical research.
The project running times are 12 to 18 months (company projects industrial research, research and development), 12 to 24 months (clinical studies), 24 months (flagship project)
Language of application
The language of application may be English. However, an abstract in German is required. Application documents (e.g., guidelines) and funding agreements are legally binding documents and are therefore in German.
Tender documents 2024 to 2026
Key documents (e.g., guidelines, FAQs) can be found on the Austrian Life Sciences 2024 to 2026 page.
Budget and call 2024 till 2026
The Initiative has a total of 45 mil. EUR available for funding.
Austrian Life Sciences key data
- Funding is open to all fields of Liefe Sciences and technologies
- Submission at any time by latest 18, December 2026
- Evaluations are conducted by internal experts of the FFG
- The maximum funding amount per project or study
- R&D company projects (experimental development): max. 3 mil. EUR
- Clinical studies: max. 3 mil. EUR
- R&D company projects (industrial research): max. 1 mil. EUR
The amount of the grant depends on the type of organization and the research category.