VRG26 / Career perspectives and funding phases

The VRG program emphasizes that the contractual arrangement and institutional position of the VRG group leader should be structured to support a clear long-term career trajectory, with the ultimate aim of securing a tenured appointment at the host institution in Vienna.

The path towards a tenured position (or an equivalent career path) must be specified in the proposal. WWTF expects a qualification agreement (“Qualifizierungsvereinbarung”) to be signed within three months after the start of the project.

It is important that the prospective host institution in Vienna provides a well-defined career plan for the candidate, including allowing for independent supervision of PhD candidates upon commencement of the contract. The details stated in the proposals will be the basis of the contract in the case of funding.

The funding period of the Vienna Research Group is between six to eight years and has two phases.

• The first phase is the phase before the career step / interim evaluation of the VRG candidate.
• The second phase is the phase after the VRG candidate's career step, e.g. after the positive interim evaluation. In case of a negative result of the interim evaluation, the funding of the group will be discontinued after a "phasing out" period (max. 1 year).