Vienna Centre for Advanced Studies
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Becoming a fellow

The call for ViCAS Fellowships for 2027-2028 is now open. 

Application deadline is Friday, 28 August 2026, at 14:00 Vienna Time (CEST). 

All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their applications by mid-December 2026 at the latest.

ViCAS Fellowships 2027-2028

Each academic year, ViCAS hosts around 30 fellows divided over three residencies. ViCAS invites applications from international scholars from all academic disciplines with an outstanding academic record and an interest in interdisciplinary engagement.

 

Applicants can choose from two types of fellowships, depending on the stage of their academic career:

  • Mid-Career Fellowships: for researchers whose doctoral degree was awarded at least three years ago at the date of the call deadline and who have already gained a degree of academic independence.
  • Advanced Fellowships: for researchers whose doctoral degree was awarded at least eight years ago at the date of the call deadline and who have an established track record of research excellence.

For both types of Fellowships, ViCAS offers three different durations of residencies, with fixed start and end dates:

  1. Full residency: 9 months, from 1 October 2027 to 30 June 2028,
  2. Fall residency: 4 months, from 1 October 2027 to 31 January 2028,
  3. Spring residency: 4 months, from 1 March 2028 to 30 June 2028.

We ask all fellows to contribute to this lively community by being present on-site throughout their fellowship and by actively participating in ViCAS activities. 

Eligibility

  • Mid-Career Fellowships

    You are eligible to apply for a ViCAS Mid-Career Fellowship if

    • Your doctoral degree was awarded at least three years ago at the date of the call deadline.
    • You have an excellent record of research achievements relative to your career stage.
    • You have established an independent research profile.
    • A professor at the University of Vienna endorses your application.

  • Advanced Fellowships

    You are eligible to apply for a ViCAS Advanced Fellowship if

    • Your doctoral degree was awarded at least eight years ago at the date of the call deadline.
    • You have an established track record of research excellence.
    • You can demonstrate academic leadership.
    • A professor at the University of Vienna endorses your application.

How to apply

Please, carefully read the Application Guidelines and the Questions & Answers section. Questions which are not covered in either of those two sources can be addressed to support.vicas(at)univie.ac.at.

  • To fill out an application, you need a personal university account (u:account), which consists of a u:account UserID and u:account password. Create a u:account (Step 1).
  • All applications must be submitted in electronic form. Submit your application (Step 2).
  • All documents must be submitted in English.
  • The applicant is responsible for securing support from a professor at the University of Vienna.
  • An application can only be finalised once a University of Vienna Professor has submitted their support.
  • Please note: The application system does have a “save and continue later” function.

Application deadline is Friday, 28 August 2026, at 14:00 Vienna Time (CEST). 

Please note that these PDFs may not be fully accessible to users of assistive technologies. If you need support accessing this information, please contact vicas(at)univie.ac.at.