ICT Call 2025

This repository contains all the necessary information for the ICT Call 2025. Please note that WWTF is currently piloting this way of providing call information to potential applicants. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any suggestions for improvement.

ICT25 / Call Facts

This is a call for cutting-edge research projects that seek to improve understanding of a fundamental question in ICT. 


Scope of the Call

This call is open to researchers from all areas of ICT. Projects should address fundamental, hypothesis-driven research questions, develop and apply cutting-edge methodology, and present a clearly defined research plan. Project topics may range from theoretical computer science to the intersection of ICT with other domains (e.g. health, energy, industry, transport, finance and other societal issues). Proposals should focus on advancing basic knowledge in ICT while laying the foundations for future high-impact applications. Projects may be focused within a single discipline or be interdisciplinary in nature.

Who can apply?
Project Duration

24-48 months

Funding             
Timeline
Process

ICT25 / Call Specifications

This section contains information on the process, criteria, and instrument of this call. It is intended for applicants wishing to submit a proposal in the ICT25 call. 

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Scope of the call

This call seeks to enable cutting-edge projects that improve the understanding of fundamental research questions in ICT, thus enhancing the international visibility of Vienna’s innovative ICT research landscape, 

This call is open to researchers from all areas of ICT. Projects should address fundamental, hypothesis-driven research questions, develop and apply cutting-edge methodology, and present a clearly defined research plan. Project topics may range from theoretical computer science to the intersection of ICT with other domains (e.g. health, energy, industry, transport, finance and other societal issues). Proposals should focus on advancing basic knowledge in ICT while laying the foundations for future high-impact applications. Projects may be focused within a single discipline or be interdisciplinary in nature.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Submission

To submit a proposal in this call, please go to the WWTF Funding Portal.

Important information for your submission

Proposal deadline: February 11th, 2025, 2pm CET

Details on the submission process can be found in this section.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Eligibility of applicants and roles in the project

The general eligibility of applicants is specified in the WWTF Funding Guideline (in German only).

A project’s core team may include up to three Principal Investigators (PIs). This includes a PI&C and up to two co-PIs. 

One PI must be designated as PI&C.

Up to two co-PIs may also be named in the core team.

Additional project partners and collaborators are permitted in the research team. They can be added by name in the full proposal stage.

Research partners outside Vienna:

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Joint Projects with partners in Lower Austria

WWTF welcomes Joint Project (JP) applications between Viennese and Lower Austrian universities and research institutions in this call. The aims of this initiative are to promote research cooperation between Lower Austria and Vienna on equal terms and to strengthen cooperation of research institutions in the Vienna region.

A conversion between JPs and regular WWTF projects is not possible between the short and full proposal phases.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Content and structure of the proposal

The content and structure of the proposal are defined and specified in the submission guideline. Please register and create a proposal to learn more about the details via our Funding Portal. An overview of the main parts of the short and full proposal is provided below:

Short Proposal

Full proposal

Abstract (EN)

Lay summary and scientific abstract

Project description (about 4-5 pages): outline of the main scientific research idea and approach

Project description (about 12-15 pages): elaboration on the research idea and approach (upload of PDF, template with structure is provided)

Project core team: with CVs and publications lists (upload of PDF, template with structure is provided)

Project team and further collaboration partners: with CVs and publications lists for the core team members (upload of PDF, template with structure is provided)

Budget overview

Detailed budget

Signatures: required from the researchers and the institutions of the core team members

Signatures: required from the researchers and all participating institutes

Please note that the short proposal is intended for a jury panel with expertise covering a range of proposals, while the full proposal is primarily aimed at experts in the specific topics of the proposal.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Evaluation criteria

The following criteria are used in the evaluation.

The key criteria in the evaluation of proposals are scientific excellence. In detail, this means:

Further criteria:

Other aspects:

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Eligible costs

All costs that are directly attributable to the project and are regarded as commonly required in the respective scientific field are eligible for funding. Please also consider your organization’s internal guidelines for eligible expenses/costs.

Personnel costs

WWTF is dedicated to funding researchers. Hence, the larger share of the project’s budget should be allocated to personnel costs for researchers working on the project.

Non-personnel costs

Running costs for basic infrastructure (telephone costs, rents) as well as costs for the acquisition of infrastructure and basic equipment are not eligible for funding, as these should be covered by the category “overhead costs”. Non-personnel should not exceed 25% of the overall budget.

Indirect costs (overheads)

 WWTF pays a maximum of 20% overhead. Overhead is calculated as a percentage of the direct costs of the project (i.e., personnel + non-personnel costs). Please note that WWTF offers the maximum 20% overhead lump sum to compensate for all administration costs. This means that flat fees for payroll or project accounting are not eligible. The total funding volume is calculated as direct plus indirect costs.

Applicants are required to comply with the overhead regulations of the involved institutions.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Gender aspects in the application phase

WWTF’s Gender Strategy and Gender Equality Plan must be considered throughout the application. Please note that WWTF requests jury members and reviewers to take into account both gender and specific roles in research team composition, as well as gender in research content during evaluation processes.

The following questions should be considered during development of the proposal:

Equal opportunities in research

Gender in research content and in the research ideas phase

Proposal phase

Research phase


Further resources

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Guidelines for good scientific practice and ethics

Compliance with the rules for good scientific practice, including the observance of ethical aspects in research, is mandatory. This pertains to the application process and, in case of funding, the research work.

Project proposals may include ethical aspects that require the approval from an ethics committee/institutional review board.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Open Science

WWTF requires compliance with its Open Science Policy. This document outlines the rights, roles and responsibilities of WWTF, researchers, and research organizations.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Use of generative AI in the application process

WWTF recognizes that the use of genAI tools is pervasive and can facilitate proposal writing, for example in relation to improving written language. However, substantial use of genAI must be declared as such for the sake of transparency. 

“Substantial use” is defined in line with the European Commission’s definition: “[…] using generative AI as a basic author support tool is not a substantial use. However, interpreting data analysis, carrying out a literature review, identifying research gaps, formulating research aims, developing hypotheses, etc. could have a substantial impact.” (EC 2024: Living Guidelines on the responsible use of generative AI in research.)  

This mainly concerns critical parts of scientific relevance, such as hypothesis formulation and the scientific project plan. Applicants will be required to provide statements on the use of generative AIs at both the short and full proposal stages. WWTF emphasizes the importance of human responsibility for the content submitted at all stages of the application process. 

For your information, WWTF does not allow the use of genAI in the evaluation process.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Selection and decision process

Applications must be submitted via the online Funding Portal in the specified timeframes. Submissions after the deadline will not be considered.

The core element of WWTF’s decision-making processes is an international jury mandated to make a funding recommendation to the WWTF boards. 

Formal eligibility check by WWTF

WWTF office will conduct a formal eligibility check of the proposal based on the criteria outlined in the WWTF Funding Guideline, and this document. This includes:

Substantial deficiencies and missing sections in the application will lead to the exclusion of the application from further evaluation and rejection on formal grounds. The strict timeline of the call does not allow for proposals to be sent back to the applicants for amendments.

Evaluation of short proposals

Evaluation of full proposals

Eligible full proposals will undergo a review process. 

Applicants will have the opportunity to respond in writing to the external reviews.

Full Proposal Jury meeting

The jury will convene about 3-4 months after the submission deadline of the full proposals to select full proposals to recommend for funding. The jury may be extended by additional members in case supplementary expertise is needed to cover the topics of the proposals. At least two jury members are assigned to each proposal and act as rapporteurs for the proposals.

Formal funding decision

The jury recommendation will be formally confirmed first by the WWTF Advisory Board and then approved by the WWTF Board of Directors.

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Funding contract

In case of funding, WWTF office will contact the PI&C to draw up the funding contract. 

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Community Building

WWTF is highly committed to supporting the growing ICT community in Vienna. 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. 

ICT25 / Call Specifications

ICT25 / Monitoring and reporting

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 Reporting and Accounting Guideline.

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

This section is a guide to using WWTF’s Funding Portal. It is intended for applicants who wish to submit a short proposal in the ICT25 Call.

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Register & Login

Register 

If you are a PI, please complete your profile as early as possible because your profile information is used in the other parts of the proposals (e.g., your institution).

Login

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Creating a new proposal

  1. Go to “Calls” in the top menu
  2. Select the ICT Call 2025
  3. Click “Participate now” à a new proposal will be created. You can create multiple proposals. However, please note that each researcher may participate as PI&C or co-PI in a maximum of two proposals.
  4. Once created, you will find all your proposals under “My Proposals & Roles” in the top menu. You can delete proposals at any time. Proposals that are not submitted will be deleted automatically after the submission deadline.

The Funding Portal will save your entries and changes automatically. You can pause data entry at any time. All information will be available again upon your next login.

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Information about PIs

In the short proposal, WWTF requires information only about the researchers in the project’s core team, i.e., the PI&C and up to two co-PIs. Further researchers beyond the core team may also take part in the project, either funded by WWTF or with in-kind contribution. Information about these further researchers will be required in the full proposal.

Step 1: Invite the PI&C and co-PIs

  1. Go to the tab “Personnel and Institutions” in the proposal
  2. Invite a “Principal Investigator and Coordinator” by providing their contact information.

Step 2: Complete your “Profile”

The PI&C and all co-PIs must complete “My Profile”. If you are creating a project on behalf of others and are not part of the Core Team, you do not need to provide this information.

  1. Upon login, go to “My Profile” in the top menu to fill out or update your profile. This information needs to be entered only once and can then be used for multiple proposals or in future calls.

Step 3: Complete your “Role”

Go to “My Proposal & Roles” in the top menu. Under “My Roles”, click on your role below the title of the proposal.

Please note that the information entered here should be specific to the project. If you are participating in multiple proposals that requires different subsets of your expertise, please tailor the information according to the project.

As the Funding Portal automatically relays entered information about the PI&C and co-PIs into subsequent parts of the proposal, we recommend that the core team members fill out these sections early (e.g., institutions of the core team members are automatically added to the budget).

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / CV and List of Publications

Please use the CV template provided in the funding portal. Please use the following template:"All other calls: wwtf_cvtemplate_project.docx"

Do not exceed 2 pages for the CV, as the system will not accept the upload of documents longer than 2 pages

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Overview of chapters

The proposal is comprised of six chapters, each under a separated tab:

A chapter with a red alert symbol indicates that it is incomplete. Within the marked chapter, click on the red symbol(s) beside individual sections to highlight the fields requiring attention.  A green checkmark symbol indicates that the information in the chapter is complete.

Please note that the symbols might not refresh immediately even if the information in the chapter is complete. Changing to another chapter and going back to the other will refresh the symbol. 

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Details of chapters

Please note that the inclusion of figures and tables is not possible in the short proposal. These elements can be included in the full proposal phase.

Basic Information

This chapter contains basic information about the proposal, including title, scientific disciplines involved, keywords, duration, and type of project (i.e., regular WWTF Project or Joint Project). Fill out fields as required.

Please note:

Personnel and Institutions

This chapter contains information about the main parties in the project. Ideally, information about the PI&C and co-PIs have already been entered. However, this information can be changed at any time.

Project

This chapter contains the bulk of the scientific information regarding the project. 

Please note that the character limit includes spaces

Abstract (max. 1,500 characters)

Please provide an overall project summary. Clearly state the research question and the aims of the team. Describe the most innovative aspects of your proposal, and its potential relevance and impact. 


Proposal

Introduction, background and state of the art (max. 2,500 characters)
What is the topic and broad background of this research project? What is the state of the art in this field? 

Research questions, objectives, and/or hypotheses (max. 2,000 characters)

What are the fundamental research questions/hypotheses that the project seeks to address? What are the goals the project seeks to achieve? 

Expected results, novelty and relevance (max. 2,000 characters)

What kind of advancements are expected to be gained from the research project? Which aspects of the proposed project are especially innovative? Describe the scientific relevance and the timeliness of the research project. 

Methods and feasibility (max. 2,000 characters)

Specify the methodology intended to be used in order to answer the research question(s) and objective(s). Describe the basic working principles and concepts, and why the chosen approach/specific mix of approaches is the most suitable for the research question. Include a short assessment on the feasibility of the approach.

Role of team members and collaborative aspects (max. 1,500 characters)

Which collaborative elements are essential for the project to succeed; what makes the team more than the sum of its individual contributions? A team member’s contribution should be integrated into the overall plan and should not appear merely as a resource.

Potential for interdisciplinarity, application to other research fields and potential impact (max. 1,500 characters)

How will the scientific advancements gained through this project benefit other research fields that are beyond the immediate scope of the project? Describe how the knowledge, methods or technology developed in this project could further understanding or contribute to applications in other research disciplines. Also, provide a brief statement how the results from this research project could contribute towards solving a recognised problem that affects broader society or the economy.

Please note that potential sex/gender aspects of the research topic and gender balance in the research team should be considered throughout the application (see this section). These should be briefly described where appropriate in the relevant sections. Further details will be required in the full proposal phase.


Ethical considerations (max. 800 characters)

Indicate if there is an ethical approval necessary as a formal requirement to conduct your research project in your respective institution. Please reach out to your institutional ethics boards prior to submitting your proposal. If an ethics votum is necessary, this must be sent to WWTF prior to our final jury meeting.

Outline the potential ethical aspects of your proposed project. These may include, but are not restricted to human participants, human tissue, human embryonic tissue, personal data, animals, environmental safety, and artificial intelligence. Please indicate if ethical approval is required for the project. If no ethical aspects are identified, please also provide a brief explanation (Further details, please see this section).

Use of generative AI (max. 800 characters)

Please describe if and how GenAI has been used in developing your research proposal. Please see further details can be found here.

References

In this chapter, up to 15 key references relevant for the project can be added. Please use a continuous reference style.

Please note that these references should focus on the content of the proposal and is not your personal publication list. The latter should be included in the CVs of the core team members. 

Budget

The short proposal requires only an overview budget for each participating institution. All institutions added in the chapter “Personnel and Institutions” will be automatically listed in the budget table.

The system will automatically calculate sums and ratios of the budget. 

Explanation of Cost Planning (max. 750 characters) 

Outline details about the planned resource allocation with the dedicated budget.

In the case of an invitation to submit a full proposal, there should not be significant changes in the requested budget compared to the short proposal. Exceptions are permitted but require justification.

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Signatures

Submission of the proposal requires the signatures of the authorized person(s) at the host institutions of each of the PI&C and co-PIs (“Authorization”).

Unlike proposals in the previous Submission System, signatures from the core team are no longer required in the new Funding Portal.

ICT25 / Submission Guideline / Short Proposal

ICT25 / Proposal submission

Once all symbols in all chapters are marked by green checkmarks, the proposal can be submitted. The “Submit” button is at the bottom of the “Signatures” chapter. The PI&C will receive an automatic confirmation email when the Funding Portal receives the completed submission.

No changes are possible after the project has been submitted. After the indicated deadline, submission is no longer possible. Unsubmitted proposals will be excluded from the ensuing evaluation process and deleted shortly after the submission deadline.

You can access your submitted proposal as PDF on the page “My Proposals and Roles”. 

ICT25 / Important documents


WWTF Funding Guideline General Guideline for WWTF funding activities
Guideline for Good Scientific
Practice
Guidelines by the Austrian Agency for Research
Integrity
Open Science Policy Open Science Policy of WWTF
Gender Equality Strategy & Plan Gender Equality Strategy & Plan of WWTF
Reporting and Accounting Guideline Specifies reporting and accounting for funded projects

ICT25 / Contact

Missbach.jpg Strassnig.jpg

Benjamin Missbach | benjamin.missbach@wwtf.at | Tel.: +43 1 402 31 43 19

Michael Strassnig | michael.strassnig@wwtf.at | Tel.: +43 1 402 31 43 15