# ESS26 - Resilience and Crises / In case of a positive funding decision ...

##### <span lang="EN-GB">Conclusion of a Funding Contract</span>

<span lang="EN-GB">In case of funding, WWTF office will contact the PI&amp;C to draw up the funding contract. </span>

- <span lang="EN-GB">WWTF encourages projects to start as soon as possible after the formal funding decision by the WWTF Board of Directors. To facilitate a timely project start, WWTF will directly contact the PI&amp;C shortly after the funding decision to commence the contracting process.</span>
- <span lang="EN-GB">The funding decision will be announced in October 2026. The formal start of the project may be **no later than January 2027**. Please note that WWTF does not require all team members of the funded project to begin by the project’s start date. </span>

<p class="callout info"><span lang="EN-GB">A timely and mostly simultaneous start of the projects is necessary so that all projects are roughly in the same project phase when the application period for funding phase two starts. </span></p>

- <span lang="EN-GB">The PI&amp;C will be provided with the necessary documents for the contracts.</span>
- The <span lang="EN-GB">formal funding contract will be signed between WWTF and the host institution of the PI&amp;C. In Joint Projects, the host institution of the co-PI in Lower Austria is an additional contract partner.</span>
- For universities, this is a project according to §27 of the Universities Act 2002. The institution then authorizes the respective PI to sign for the full scientific and financial responsibility of the project.

##### Monitoring and Reporting of Funded Projects

<span lang="EN-GB">Funded teams commit themselves to delivering reports and participating in evaluation and monitoring. WWTF offers the possibility to adapt the work plan according to project needs. For details, see the</span><span lang="DE"> [Reporting and Accounting Guideline](https://wwtf.at/upload/anhang_berichtswesen-und-abrechnungsmodalitaten_17072024.pdf) (in German only)</span><span lang="EN-GB">.</span>

<span lang="EN-GB">Please note that due to the short duration of the projects, there will only be one final report. </span>

##### Community Building

<span lang="EN-US">WWTF is highly committed to establish a community around the topic of this call. To this end, several community building activities will be offered throughout the funding cycle. Funded teams will be invited to participate in these activities to foster collaborations between and beyond WWTF funded projects. </span>