collageFinancial support for PhD students and interns is a key priority for IST Austria.
STATUS OF OUR STUDENTS
PhD students are employed by IST Austria. Prior to their successfully completion of the Qualifying Exam, their activities consist of coursework, rotation projects within research groups, and preparation for the Qualifying Exam. Once the students have successfully passed the Qualifying Exam, they perform research on their PhD thesis project within one or more research groups, and they may assist in teaching activities.
All our PhD students receive internationally competitive salaries and full social security coverage. Students also receive financial support to attend scientific conferences and workshops during their studies.
Scientific interns are employed by IST Austria. They are enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program in good standing at a degree granting institution (other than IST Austria) while performing a research project within a research group of IST Austria for a period of up to 1 year.
ISTerns receive a monthly compensation. The ISTernship program is developed in cooperation with the OeAD, the Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research. The OeAD handles the scholarship payments for a period of up to 3 months between May 15 and September 15.
SALARIES
PhD student salaries depend on whether the student is holding a bachelor’s or a master’s degree at the time of admission. When students pass their Qualifying Exam (about 1.5 years into their degree), they receive a salary raise. Gross salaries (in the year 2021) for PhD students range from 2268 to 2756 EUR/month (paid 14 times a year).
IST Austria offers scientific interns a minimum salary of EUR 1,086 gross per month.
ADMISSION COSTS AND TUITION FEES
IST Austria does not charge any tuition fees. No application fee is required to apply to our PhD and internship programs.
RESEARCH FUNDING AND AWARDS
In all fields of research, funding is of paramount importance to sustain the resources needed by scientists. IST Austria relies on diverse funding sources to support all its researchers.
The Grant Office is there to support applicants wishing to apply for external funding. PhD students at IST Austria are no exception since it is best to acquire grant writing skills early on in one’s scientific career. For academic job applications, competitive peer-reviewed fellowships can be a powerful indicator that 1) you’re a scientist worth investing in, and 2) that your research projects are of the highest quality.
Fellowships which have been awarded to PhD students and interns at IST Austria include:
- DOC fellowships from the Austrian Academy of Science
- Böhringer Ingelheim Foundation fellowships
- IBM PhD Fellowship
- FEMTech Stipends of the FFG, and
- ISTernships (internally funded).
Students can also be part of larger projects within their research groups. IST Austria has been particularly successful in receiving a large number of prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants which reward innovative projects for their research excellence.
In addition, students may be involved in projects funded by more local sources such as:
- the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- the Land Niederösterreich (NFB)
The opportunity to network with other institutions is one of the highlights of the cooperative grants currently running at IST Austria. These bring together eminent scientists (and sometimes companies) from across Europe and beyond to work on challenges in a specific field. They can also be specifically aimed at PhD student training, as is the case with:
- Doktoratskollegs from the FWF
- Initial Training Networks (ITN) from the European Commission
All scientists at IST Austria are supported by the Grant Office in all matters related to external funding: from application, implementation, to reporting to the relevant funding organizations
Professor Salary Austria
Salary as a professor in Austria
Salaries for assistant professors and professors in Austria tend to be competitive. Academics with a PhD or qualification agreement (Qualifizierungsvereinbarung) usually have a higher salary. Assistant professors on the lower end of the scale have a monthly salary of around €3,000, while professors can earn more than €6,000, depending on their experience. Positive evaluations of work and the length of employment can also lead to significant pay rises.Salary of a professor in Austria (gross monthly salary in 2009)
| Years of professional experience | Qualification Level | Position | |
| Assistant Professor (A2) | Full Professor (A1) | ||
| 0 | 3,270 € | 4,360 € | |
| 0 | PhD | 3,815 € | 4,360 € |
| 0 | Qualification Agreement | 4,142 € | 4,360 € |
| 6 | 4,578 € | 4,796 € | |
| 12 | 5,014 € | 5,232 € | |
| >12 (Max.) | 5,887 € | 6,105 € |
How to become a professor in Austria
There are various routes to becoming a professor in Austria, depending on your educational background. Within the Austrian academic system, the usual process post-MA is to complete a PhD while holding a position known as Universitätsassistent. The academic may then be permitted to apply for the post-doc tenure track (Laufbahnstelle) and become an assistant professor. During the next six years, the academic is required to reach the goals agreed in a qualification agreement (Qualifikationsvereinbarung), which usually include specific research goals and, in some cases, obtaining the teaching qualification known as ‘habilitation’. Once the academic has achieved their goals, they automatically progress to the permanent position of associate professor.
Full professorship is not an automatic process, as positions are often limited, and there is a special appointment procedure. To be appointed as a professor (Universitätsprofessor), the academic must have an excellent record of post-doc research and teaching. Professors are selected by an appointment committee organised by the University Senate, and can be offered contracts on a part-time or full-time basis. The relationship with the university may be temporary or tenured. After signing the employment contract, the professor obtains a teaching qualification (Venia Docendi).
Outside of universities, professorships are also occasionally available at the Institute of Science and Technology (IST) near Vienna. To be considered for the position of professor at the IST, candidates are expected to have a minimum of six years of experience as an independent group leader.
International candidates for professorship in Austria are rarely required to be fluent in German at the time of application, as the use of English in scientific research and teaching is becoming increasingly common. However, universities generally expect proficiency in German in a short time, so it is advisable for any academic considering a career in Austria to begin learning the language beforehand.
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