# Emerging Fields

**Funder:** FWF
**Budget:** €3–7M
**Duration:** 5 years
**Consortium:** Required — 3–7 researchers at Austrian research institutions
**Application:** 3-stage review process
**Eligible countries:** AT
**Official call:** https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/funding/portfolio/excellentaustria/emerging-fields
**Last verified:** 19 July 2026

## Eligibility & scope

Targets consortia of 3–7 internationally outstanding researchers at one or more Austrian research institutions. Funds high-risk basic research with potential for paradigm shifts and disruptive innovation. Part of the excellent=austria programme. Further details (budget, deadline) may appear in segment 2.

## Summary

The FWF Emerging Fields programme funds consortia of 3-7 leading researchers to pursue high-risk basic research with potential for paradigm shifts, with budgets of €3-7 million over five years. The call targets teams at Austrian research institutions working on approaches that depart significantly from established methods. This is a single-cycle call for genuinely transformative, disruptive innovation rather than incremental advance.

## Who should apply

- Consortia of 3-7 internationally recognised researchers
- Team members based at Austrian academic or research institutions
- Research teams departing deliberately from established methods and conventional approaches
- Applicants with strong publication and track records in their respective fields
- Projects explicitly framed around high-risk, disruptive potential rather than incremental improvement

## Key dates

- Most recent deadline 31 March 2025; next call cycle not yet announced
- Three-stage evaluation process
- Five-year project duration

## Tips for applicants

- Frame the risk explicitly, emphasise the potential for paradigm shift, not just novelty; review panels for this call reward ambitious failure over safe increments.
- Consortium composition matters: make clear how the 3-7 members complement each other and why the interdisciplinary or methodological mix is essential to break new ground.
- Justify departure from convention in concrete terms, cite established approaches you are rejecting and explain why the new angle requires radical departure, not just a tweaked hypothesis.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the budget for the FWF Emerging Fields programme?

€3-7 million per consortium over five years, depending on project scope and team size.

### Who can apply for FWF Emerging Fields?

Consortia of 3-7 internationally outstanding researchers based at Austrian research institutions. All team members must be affiliated with recognised Austrian institutions.

### What kind of research does FWF Emerging Fields fund?

High-risk basic research with potential for paradigm shifts and disruptive innovation, explicitly designed to depart from established approaches rather than extend existing lines of work.

### Is FWF Emerging Fields a consortium grant?

Yes, applicants must form a consortium of at least 3 and at most 7 researchers working together on the project.

### When is the next deadline for FWF Emerging Fields?

The most recent deadline was 31 March 2025; FWF has not yet announced the next call cycle.

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

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