Funding of scientific studies in accordance with § 7 Lower Austria Youth Act

Since March 1, 2020, the funding of scientific studies pursuant to § 7 of the Lower Austria Youth Act has enabled continuous financing of empirical studies on the living conditions of youth in Lower Austria. The funding type is designed as a direct grant, with no fixed total volume announced, and each project submission is evaluated individually. Eligible for funding are private individuals, educational institutions, non-profit and public organizations, as well as companies. Through direct grants, contracts are awarded to qualified researchers and institutions in the field of research & innovation to obtain reliable data and produce well-founded analyses of the living environments, development spaces, and needs of young people in the federal state. The grants are project-based, and there is no time limitation on the funding period to allow for long-term research projects.

The basis for the grant is § 7 of the Lower Austria Youth Act, with selection carried out through a formalized procedural sequence: first, the responsible department of the Office of the Lower Austria State Government invites submissions; this is followed by an evaluation of the proposals and the awarding of contracts. Upon project completion, the full work must be submitted to the State Youth Department for further utilization. The results are incorporated into planning and funding decisions and strengthen the evidence-based design of youth policy. Administrative processing is the responsibility of the Finance Department (F1) and ensures appropriate use of funds. An important reference number for identification in the transparency portal is 1046796, with an unlimited application possibility.