Anniversary Fund of the City of Vienna for the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

The Anniversary Fund of the City of Vienna for the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) supports ambitious research projects, excellent scientific publications, and outstanding theses at BOKU. The aim is to strengthen the synergistic collaboration between the city administration and the university, promote sustainable development approaches, and recognize emerging scientific talent. Funding is primarily provided to doctoral candidates and postdocs up to seven years after their doctorate, who are employed at BOKU for at least 20 hours per week and can demonstrate prior scientific experience. The board decides on three funding instruments: the City of Vienna-BOKU Research Funding (€35,000–€90,000 per project, project duration up to 24 months), the BOKU Best Paper Awards (up to five publications at €1,500 each), and the BOKU Talent Awards for master’s theses (up to five awards at €1,500 each) as well as dissertations (up to three awards at €3,000 each). The submission deadline for all instruments is June 30, 2025, or until the budget is exhausted.

Applications are evaluated, among other criteria, based on interdisciplinarity, involvement of relevant stakeholders, and alignment with SDG criteria as well as Vienna strategies such as “Vienna 2030 – Economy and Innovation” or “Smart Climate City.” Eligible expenses include personnel, material, and travel costs; transitional funding for doctoral candidates is excluded. Application documents – including the form, project description (DE/EN), cost calculation, detailed CV with publication list, reviewer suggestions, and electronic project registration (ePM) – must be submitted as a single PDF (max. 20 MB) via the BOKU Research Service. These continuously available funding opportunities open new perspectives for scientists at BOKU for innovative and sustainable research approaches with a clear connection to Vienna.