Industrienahe Dissertationen 2026 (Industry-Related PhD Projects 2026)

Industry-related PhD projects with clear economic relevance. Thematically, this includes application-oriented research in natural sciences or technical fields as well as current topics of the Triple Transition (digital, socio-ecological, and sustainable transformation).

Eligible applicants are non-university research institutions or companies with R&D activities, each with a branch in Austria.

The applying organization submits the proposal on behalf of the PhD candidate. Non-university research institutions may submit several applications. For companies, a cap applies: a maximum of two applications per company (including affiliated organizations) can be approved under this call. 

Funding for companies has been fully exhausted. Applications are therefore only open to non-university research institutions.

Up to 110,000 EUR per project and a maximum of 50% of total project costs. Eligible costs mainly include personnel and travel expenses of the PhD candidates.

A total of 6 million EUR is available for non-university research institutions, and 770,000 EUR for companies with R&D activities. Around 50% of the funds in each category are reserved for female PhD candidates.

If the available budget is fully or partly exhausted, the call may close before the official submission deadline.

The specific application criteria are summarized in the call guidelines.

• The dissertation must have a clear economic relevance.
• PhD candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral program throughout the project duration and employed for the project at the funded organization for at least 860 hours per year.
• Mentoring is provided by the applying organization, while academic supervision is ensured by a university with the right to award doctorates.
• Project start must be within one year after submission.

Applications can only be submitted electronically via eCall. They include:

• Project description: content and objectives.
• Work plan: work packages and project management elements such as schedule (GANTT chart), tasks, milestones, and results.
• Organization description: expertise of project partners, results from previous projects, and relevant infrastructure.
• Costs and financing: all cost categories; totals per work package are displayed automatically in the online work plan.

In addition, the following mandatory attachments must be uploaded with the funding application:

• Confirmation of academic supervision from a university with the right to award doctorates (template provided).
• CVs of the PhD candidate and mentor (uploaded under personnel costs in eCall).

Applications may be submitted in German or English.

If the available budget is fully or partly exhausted, the call may close before the official submission deadline.

Funding decisions are usually made 2–3 months after submission. During the system migration, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding.

Notification is provided in writing via eCall.