FORWIT initiative successfully improves the Austrian Future Fund
This sends a clear signal in favour of future-oriented research funding in Austria.
Thomas Henzinger
In May 2024, FORWIT published recommendations for the reorganisation of the Austrian Future Fund (Fonds Zukunft Österreich, FZÖ) and subsequently initiated a structured stakeholder process for further development. Together with the fund’s Board of Trustees, representatives from the BMBWF, BMK, BMAW, BMF and the beneficiary research funding organisations, significant changes have now been agreed and anchored interministerially. ‘This sends a clear signal in favour of future-oriented research funding in Austria and significantly increases the agility and impact of this important research policy instrument,’ says Council Chairman Thomas Henzinger, pleased with the successful conclusion of the process.
More openness, minimum funding limit, critical success factors for measurement
The potential for innovation is increased and risk-taking research projects in science and industry are stimulated.
Sonja Sheikh
‘In concrete terms, for example, we have succeeded in making the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development’s call for proposals more open in terms of the STI Pact’s fields of action,’ explains Sonja Sheikh, Council member and Chair of the FZÖ working group. ‘This gives the funding agencies more room for manoeuvre, increases the potential for innovation and stimulates risk-taking research projects in science and industry.’
In addition, the new minimum funding limit of €5 million per application increases the leverage effect of the approved funding programmes, as there will be fewer but larger programmes in future.
In-depth impact measurement is a highly important element of successful, sustainable research funding.
Dietrich Haubenberger
Critical success factors are used for the necessary measurement and evaluation of the impact triggered. ‘This involves, for example, the question of which structural deficits are to be remedied with a submitted funding programme or how it contributes to improving the framework conditions of the STI system. A profound impact assessment is a very important element of successful, sustainable research funding,’ explains Council member Dietrich Haubenberger.
Federal government must quickly ensure the continuation of the FZÖ
We would like to thank all the stakeholders involved for their productive collaboration.
Thomas Henzinger
These improvements are the first steps towards the necessary further development of the FZÖ, for which FORWIT has been calling for some time. ‘We would like to thank all stakeholders involved for their productive collaboration. The result makes it clear that we are all working for a sustainable, strong innovation and research location in Austria,’ emphasises Council Chairman Thomas Henzinger. It is now up to the (next) federal government to secure the FZÖ for the future when it expires in 2025 and to provide it with the funds of €200 million per year that the Council believes it needs. ‘The Council will also play a committed and productive role in this process,’ concluded Henzinger.
About the Austrian Future Fund
The National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development, which is funded by the federal government, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank and the ERP Fund, awards grants to federal funding organisations (FWF, FFG, ÖAW, LBG, CDG and aws) to finance cutting-edge research in the fields of basic and applied research as well as technology and innovation development. The basis for the annual allocation is a recommendation by FORWIT, which provides the strategic background for the decisions. At present, the Austrian Future Fund is only secured until 2025.
