With the #ConnectingMinds program, the Austrian Science Fund FWF encourages researchers to involve non-academic stakeholders in their research projects. Funding is available to teams that combine both academic and social knowledge and are applying them to help tackle social, technological, ecological, and economic challenges. The focus is on transdisciplinarity, innovative research approaches, and support for community engagement and collective learning spaces.
Target group
The program is aimed at consortia of two to five internationally outstanding researchers at one or more Austrian research institutions.
Funding goals
The goal of the program is to give researchers the opportunity to initiate cooperative research projects that combine academic and social knowledge (transdisciplinary research). Funding is available for projects focusing on highly relevant current and future social topics, which will generate new research findings while also possibly identifying solutions to complex challenges. As a result, knowledge from different groups of people in society is interlinked with research activities, strengthening the dialog between science and society. Funding researchers’ capacity-building in transdisciplinary research is intended to support the application of a methodologically sound transdisciplinary research process.
Additional program-specific information
The program is divided into two phases:
In the first phase, two to five researchers can apply to conduct a #ConnectingMinds workshop. If their proposal is approved, the researchers can use this workshop to work together with the other project participants (including non-academic participants) to develop and advance their project idea and their planned research process for a #ConnectingMinds project.
The second phase is to submit the proposal for a #ConnectingMinds project based on the results of the workshop and to further elaborate the research project.
Funding period and funding amount
- #ConnectingMinds workshop: 1–3 days
- #ConnectingMinds workshop: maximum €12,000
- #ConnectingMinds project: maximum 60 months
- #ConnectingMinds project: maximum €1.25 million
Prerequisites
- Consortium of two to five researchers or arts-based researchers with research qualifications that meet FWF standards
- High scientific quality by international standards
- Innovative research approach that addresses a social issue as well as one or more specific challenges and develops possible solutions
- Application of a transdisciplinary research process with the possibility of involving non-academic participants
- Proposals should demonstrate a thematic relevance to one or more of the thematic groups named above
- For further details, please see the application guidelines.
Information on the current call for proposals
For the current call, the FWF is supporting innovative #ConnectingMinds workshops and #ConnectingMinds projects with funding provided by the Fonds Zukunft Österreich as part of the thematic groups of the EU Missions. Research questions for this call can focus on the following topics:
- EU Missions:
- Mission Cancer: Conquering Cancer – Mission Possible
- Mission Climate: A Climate-Resilient Europe
- Mission Cities: 100 Climate-Neutral Cities by 2030 – by and for the Citizens
- Mission Soil: Caring for Soil is Caring for Life
- Mission Starfish 2030: Restore our Ocean and Waters
For more information and examples of possible subject areas, please see the application guidelines. Thematically open proposals will also be accepted for this call.
Approval
- #ConnectingMinds workshops: written peer review by an international jury
- #ConnectingMinds projects: by the Scientific Board based on the recommendation of the international jury; recommendations are made based on international peer review as well as hearings
Number of eligible projects
- Approximately 15 workshops
- Approximately 3 projects on the EU Missions and 1 thematically open project
