Stay connected and visible as a researcher!

PostDoc Grants were developed to provide uncomplicated financial support for the research activities of researchers on temporary contracts. Grants are available for (1) research-related travel, (2) event organization, and (3) as seed funding for third-party funding or research-related training. Below you will find the terms (version 16.07.2024).

PostDoc Grants: Funding for postdoctoral researchers to promote academic networking and the development of an independent research profile

Eligible target group

Eligible for the PostDoc Grants are postdoctoral researchers employed at the University of Graz on a temporary contract in the categories Universitätsassistent:in mit Doktorat, Forschungsassistent:in mit Doktorat, Projektmitarbeiter:in mit Doktorat. The employment contract needs to be ongoing while carrying out the activity for which the grant is requested. Employees with permanent contracts (including tenure-track positions and assistant professors) are not eligible. At least 50% of the grants each year will be awarded to female/inter*/nonbinary researchers.

Funded activities & amount of funding per grant

PostDoc Grants can and should be used in addition to funding from other sources. Funds can be requested for activities led by postdoctoral researchers (optionally in consultation with other partners) in the following categories:

[1] Mobility Grant: Research-related mobility by individual postdoctoral researchers within Austria or internationally. Among the eligible costs are accommodation, travel expenses, attendance fees for conferences, expenses associated with research materials, field or archival research, use of equipment at the host institution/destination. Costs for only-online participation are not eligible. Amount of funding available: up to 400 Euro for mobility within Austria, up to 1000 Euro for international mobility. (In order for the PostDoc Office to refund your department for the costs, you need to have submitted a travel application via the Electronic Travel Workflow ERW before the start of the trip.)

[2] Event Grant: Costs related to organizing academic events at the University of Graz which chiefly benefit postdoctoral researchers/in which postdoctoral researchers actively participate. Among the eligible costs are speaker fees (for travel, accommodation or fee for talks given), catering fees, room rent fees, equipment fees. Amount of funding available: up to 1500 Euro. 

[3] Proposal or Training Grant: Costs either related to third-party funding applications to be (re-)submitted by postdoctoral researchers OR costs for extensive professional training of the postdoctoral researcher. Amount of funding available: up to 2000 Euro.

• Costs related to proposals: eligible are applications to national and international funding bodies, group or individual, such as costs for professional editing/proof reading of proposals or interview training fees. The applicant for the grant needs to be mentioned by name in the project proposal and the application needs to provide information about the targeted funding scheme/body, persons involved, topic, beneficiaries and involved organizations. It is required that the applicant is legally allowed to be employed at the University of Graz if the project is successfully funded. It it also required to provide proof that the third-party funding proposal has actually been submitted with a funding body.
• Education and training costs: Costs for the participation in career-related training activities. Please inquire with the PostDoc Office before handing in your application to see if your planned activity is eligible.

If you require financial support with child or elder care related to your PostDoc Grant activitiy, write us an email.

Application process and contents

The application language is English. Here is the form.  Tip: Save your answers in a word-file in case the site collapses while you fill in the survey. The survey requires information about these points:

1. Professional contact details (i.e. email, telephone, postal address at department/institute/centre)
2. Information on the applicant (i.e. gender according to self-determination, job title, type and duration of employment contract)
3. Funding scheme the application is targeting (Grant 1, 2 or 3)
4. Information on the planned activity, incl. timeline
5. Intended use of the funds and justification of added value and necessity of the grant for carrying out the activity
6. Relevance and added value of the activity with regards to further career development of the applicant
7. Amount of money applied for, estimate of total costs, detailed and realistic cost calculation, info about co-funding applications ongoing and planned
8. Internal order number or cost centre for transferring the funding (i.e. Innenauftrag of your department)
9. Statement testifying agreement of the applicant to the responsibilities outlined in the call
10. Information about applicants' professional and educational achievements

Additional information may be requested by the PostDoc Office after reviewing the application.

Timelines

• Submission is possible at any time, before or after completing the activity, but within the same calendar year.
• Selection committee meetings are planned for the end of March, July and October every year, deadlines for submission is the 15th of the respective month.
• If the confirmed grant is not accessed at the latest 2 years after the date of confirmation, the grant is forfeited. It is necessary to inform the PostDoc Office of any delays, immediately and unbidden.
• If the confirmed grant is not used appropriately by the funding recipient, the entire amount of the grant is to be paid back.

Selection process & criteria

The committee selecting the grantees consists of the Vice-Rector for Research, the Head of the Department of Research Management and Services, and the Head of the PostDoc Office.

• Grants are awarded and allocated primarily and foremost on the basis of financial resources available.
• There is no legal entitlement to a PostDoc Grant.
• Applications with formal errors (e.g. not addressing mandatory aspects) will not be considered.
• First time applications will be prioritized.

The following criteria are used to evaluate applications:

• The activity needs to be initiated by a postdoctoral researcher in the above-mentioned employment category with an ongoing employment contract.
• The contribution of the grant to the aims mentioned above needs to be plausibly demonstrated.
• It needs to be plausibly demonstrated that the grant provides added value to carrying out the activity.
• The relevance and added value of the activity for the applicants’ research and career needs to be plausibly demonstrated.
• The amount of funding requested needs to be sufficiently reasoned, based on a realistic cost calculation, and appropriate (i.e. within the maximum amount for the respective grant category).

Responsibilities of grantees

• Grantees need to be available for questions related to administrating the payment of funds.
• They are responsible for the proper use of the funds and adhering to the framework of regulations at the University of Graz (e.g. Reisekostenrichtlinien).
• Grantees agree to be contacted by the PostDoc Office for purposes of evaluation of measures.
• Grantees agree to be featured in public relations activities by the University of Graz (with prior notice of course). In case of the PostDoc Event Grant, the support of the PostDoc Office must be made known on all event announcements (website, flyer, programme, etc.).

Transfer of funds

The PostDoc Office transfers the funds after the activity is finished to a unit's cost center/Innenauftrag within the university, not to individual employees. After all costs relating to the PostDoc Grant have become visible in SAP, we require an email to postdoc(at)uni-graz.at which includes

• the request for a “Budgetumbuchung” (transfer of funds),
• an SAP statement showing the costs related to the grant,
• the exact amount to be transferred,
• the confirmation letter attached,
• the number of the internal order/cost center to which the money should be transferred,
• as well as with keywords (e.g. “PostDoc Grant Your Name Month Year”) and a reason (e.g. PostDoc Grant confirmation from Date for activity XY)

(Note that if your activity includes mobility, you need to have submitted a travel application via the Electronic Travel Workflow ERW before the start of the trip.)

Contact: Dr Johanna Stadlbauer, postdoc@uni-graz.at