The Ernst Mach Grant – Worldwide, funded by Austria's Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research and administered by the OeAD, invites young researchers from all countries (except Austria) to carry out a short research project at any Austrian university. It is a research-stay grant for PhD candidates and postdocs — not a degree scholarship — giving you a funded foothold in the Austrian academic system for 1–9 months.
Why it is notable: One of the few Austrian government grants open to researchers from every country on earth, requiring only a supervisor's confirmation at any Austrian university — no enrolment, no tuition fees, and all disciplines welcome.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Monthly grant for the duration of the research stay (1–9 months) — exact rate to be confirmed in the grants.at announcement
UNVERIFIED items from the sibling ASEA-UNINET official info doc (do not present as Worldwide facts): travel-cost subsidy up to €1,200; mobility subsidy for full-PhD variant
The OeAD explicitly notes the grant may not cover all expenses — applicants need own funds for health insurance, accommodation, residence-permit financial proof (e.g. accommodation above €386.43/month in 2026), visa travel costs, and accommodation deposit
No separate tuition enrolment is needed for the research stay
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Masters/MPhilfor PhDPhDfor Postdoc
This grant is offered for PhD and postdoc research stays. IMPORTANT: it does not finance a complete or partial regular PhD, Master's or study programme in Austria — it is a short research-stay grant only. Regular students at Austrian universities are not eligible.
Who can apply
All nationalities except Austrian. Applicants already permanently resident in Austria, or who completed their academic education mainly in Austria, are not eligible. You must not have lived, studied, pursued research or done academic work in Austria in the 6 months before taking up the grant. All Austrian universities can host awardees.
Experience
No experience required — PhD candidates and early postdocs are the target group.
Language Certificate
No test certificate (TOEFL etc.) required. Sufficient English in the subject area is expected, and the Austrian supervisor must confirm the project can be done in English. Documents in English need no German translation; documents in other languages need a rough English or German translation (no certified translation required).
Other Certificates
Valid biometric passport (identity card only for EU applicants); degree certificates and proof of enrolment or employment at the home university; two letters of recommendation; written confirmation of supervision from an Austrian university lecturer using the OeAD template.
Age Limit
35 years — applicants must not be older than 35 when they start their research stay.
Tools that may help
We may earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes which scholarships we list or how we describe them.
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
All nationalities eligible; Austrian citizenship and permanent residence in Austria excluded; anyone who completed their academic education mainly in Austria…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Language
No test certificate needed; sufficient English in the subject area. Supervisor confirms the project can be done in English. English documents need no translation; other languages need a rough English or German translation.
02
Qualification
PhD programme enrolment outside Austria (PhD candidates) or postdoc lecturer/researcher position at a university outside Austria; academic-career-oriented graduates who finished studies after 30 September 2025 also eligible.
03
Documents
Online application with research sections (minimum word counts), passport, two recommendation letters, OeAD-template supervision confirmation, certificates and enrolment/employment proof.
04
Essays/answers incl. word limits
The research plan is written into the online form's sections — observe the minimum word counts and keep entries coherent and complete.
05
References
Two letters of recommendation with letterhead, date, signature and stamp, no older than 6 months; the supervision confirmation cannot serve as a reference. Upload or email to [email protected].
06
Fee
None — the application is completely free.
Document checklist
011) Research plan filled into the online application sections (minimum word counts)
022) confirmation of supervision from an Austrian university lecturer (OeAD template: date, signature, stamp)
033) two letters of recommendation (letterhead, date, signature, stamp
04max 6 months old)
054) valid biometric passport
065) degree certificates and proof of enrolment/employment
076) rough English/German translations for documents in other languages
087) generative-AI use declaration (if applicable).
Application fee
No fee — completely free.
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Austrian residence permit for researchers/students — the exact route depends on the length of stay and nationality (see OeAD entry conditions).
Application Procedure
7 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Find an Austrian university lecturer whose institute
fits your research profile and ask them directly for a written confirmation of supervision (all Austrian universities are eligible; OeAD cannot help find one). Use the official OeAD supervision template.
→
02
Prepare the research plan
the proposal is filled into the online application's sections (minimum word counts apply) — no separate proposal upload is needed.
→
03
Arrange two letters of recommendation (letterhead
date, signature, stamp; not older than 6 months) — upload them yourself or have referees email them to [email protected] before the deadline (note: you will see the letters in your online file, so confidentiality cannot
↓
06
Submit the online application via the OeAD
grants system by 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET — do not wait until the last minute (system completeness checks can take a while; technical support is unavailable outside office hours).
←
05
Declare any generative AI use in preparing
the application (tools and extent documented).
←
04
Prepare documents: valid biometric passport
degree certificates, proof of enrolment/employment at the home university, translations (rough English/German translation suffices for documents in other languages).
↓
07
Expert evaluation of all applications after the deadline
award decisions follow in 2027. 1) Research plan filled into the online application sections (minimum word counts); 2) confirmation of supervision from an Austrian university lecturer (OeAD template: date, signature, sta
Application milestones
1 Dec 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official all Austrian universities platform.
Can I apply for a regular degree programme with this grant? A: No — the grant is not intended to finance a complete or partial regular PhD, Master's or study programme; it funds short research stays oWhat is the application deadline? A: 1 December 2026, 23:59 CET, for stays during the academic year 2027/28; late documents are not accepted.Do I need to enrol at an Austrian university? A: No — but you need a written confirmation of supervision from an Austrian university lecturer (all Austrian universities are eligible; OeAD cannot find Who is eligible? A: Postgraduates doing a PhD outside Austria; postgraduates/postdocs with academic-career intent who finished their studies after 30 September 2025; postdocs working as lecturers/reseIs a language test required? A: No — but you need sufficient English in the subject area, and the supervisor must confirm the project can be done in English.Can I use AI to prepare my application? A: Yes — but its use must be declared, documenting which tools were used and to what extent.Can reference letters be sent by email? A: Yes — to [email protected] as scanned attachments; they must arrive before the deadline.Can I apply for my current stay in Austria? A: No — only future stays in the next academic year; you must interrupt any stay for at least 6 months before taking up the grant.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Austria · all Austrian universities