# 1000 Ideas Program

**Funder:** FWF
**Budget:** €175,000
**Duration:** 6–24 months
**Consortium:** No
**Application:** Double-blind selection; international jury review and funding recommendation; some proposals drawn at random from funding-worthy pool; final decision by FWF Scientific Board
**Eligible countries:** AT
**Official call:** https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/funding/portfolio/projects/1000-ideas
**Last verified:** 28 June 2026

## Eligibility & scope

PI must be employed ≥50% at an Austrian research institution for the project duration (not financed by 1000 Ideas funds). Project must be carried out at an Austrian research institution with necessary infrastructure. ~20 projects funded per call. Double-blind selection with international jury.

## Summary

The FWF 1000 Ideas programme funds high-risk, unconventional research ideas with transformative potential across all disciplines, offering €50,000-€175,000 over 6-24 months. Open to researchers at Austrian institutions, it supports exploratory, early-stage projects that might not yet fit traditional grant pathways, including up to 50% PI salary. The selection process uses double-blind review and international juries, with some proposals randomly selected from the fundable pool, a mechanism designed to reward originality over incremental refinement.

## Who should apply

- Researchers based at Austrian academic institutions
- Early-stage researchers with exploratory, high-risk ideas not yet ready for mainstream grant competition
- Projects across all disciplines with transformative or unconventional potential
- Applicants comfortable with shorter timelines (6-24 months) for proof-of-concept

## Key dates

- Currently no open application period; check the FWF website for next call announcement
- 6-24 month project duration

## Tips for applicants

- Emphasise unconventionality and transformative potential, not feasibility alone, this fund explicitly backs high-risk ideas that traditional panels might reject.
- Budget PI salary up to 50% to cover your own research time, which many early-stage researchers underuse in other FWF schemes.
- Document why your idea is not yet ready for mainstream funding; FWF 1000 Ideas screens for genuinely novel, preliminary concepts.

## Frequently asked questions

### What can FWF 1000 Ideas funding be spent on?

The budget covers project costs and up to 50% of the PI's own salary; doctoral candidate positions are not eligible.

### Who is eligible for FWF 1000 Ideas?

Researchers based at Austrian institutions working on early-stage, high-risk, or unconventional research ideas across all disciplines.

### How long is a FWF 1000 Ideas project?

Projects run for 6 to 24 months, allowing flexibility for exploratory timelines.

### How is FWF 1000 Ideas selection decided?

Double-blind international jury review leads to a fundable pool, from which some proposals are randomly selected; the FWF Scientific Board makes the final decision.

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Source: [The Great Grantsby](https://grantsby.eu/grants/fwf-1000-ideas-program-2026) — EU grant monitoring for academic researchers. Always verify details on the funder's website before applying.