Second chance for top evaluated but rejected applications! We will fund up to three applicants that got rejected but received a Seal of Excellence (score min. 85%) with a one-year PostDoc position. That way you can resubmit and have no gap of employment till you can (hopefully) start your fellowship a year later! For further information click here.

You will be working with internationally renowned leaders in their fields on cutting edge research topics [link to faculties] in a global network with local state of the art facilities. The University of Graz is a modern scientific institution with 500 partner institutions worldwide. As the second-oldest and second-biggest university in Austria, we have active collaborations nationally as well as internationally and conduct top grade research in a variety of projects. Furthermore, as the University of Graz is a member of the Arqus European University Alliance, you will have access to all the Alliance’s offers.

The University of Graz has an excellent track record of successful MSCA applications at the postdoctoral level with a success rate above European and national average. Attracting highly qualified researchers from all over the world to complement and further strengthen ongoing excellent research activities is one of our top priorities. Therefore, our dedicated and experienced staff in the Research Management and Services team as well as experts in your field will offer tailor-made support with your individual proposal and guide you through the application process.

Aside from the scientific quality, the quality of life in Graz is exceptional. As Austrian’s second largest city and European Capital of Culture 2003, you get all the benefits and the vibrant feeling of a big city without having to face the downsides of metropolitan life, while nature is always a mere stone’s throw away.

The University of Graz supports all excellent research conducted by its fellows. We actively try to recruit promising young researchers offering a broad range of incentives. Qualified staff is always at hand to help you improve your applications and guide you through the process of submission. One such incentive, specifically targeting outstanding researchers aiming to secure a MSCA-PF, is the University of Graz MSCA-PF Workshop that we organize together with expert support from the Austrian National Contact Point (NCP). Over the course of the workshop you will also have the opportunity to meet your potential MSCA-PF mentor to discuss not only your project idea, but also your embedding into the institute / working group and possibilities for the required dual way knowledge transfer.

The outline of training of professional, transferable and soft skills and the demonstration of professional research support services constitute a central part of the application. Therefore, you will receive comprehensive information material on the vast opportunities - specifically suited to your application.

All this information will provide you with a considerable advantage for making your proposal competitive!

Qualified general research support personnel as well as expert managers from your field and from the Research Management and Service department will assist you in drafting a competitive proposal and in finding a suitable mentor if needed. You can also look for mentors yourself at the Research Portal.

After you will have successfully obtained your fellowship, administrative personnel will be there to support you with reporting, bureaucracy and other issues that might come up (e.g. dissemination, outreach or intellectual property rights).

Eligibility to the MSCA-PF programme is defined by the European Commission. The call for applications is open until the date of the deadline on the 10^th of September 2025.

You will have our full support if at the date of the deadline,

• You will fulfill the programme criteria:
  • Not having lived in Austria for more than 12 months in the past 3 years
  • Having successfully defended your PhD and not having more than 8 years of fulltime equivalent in research, with few exceptions (contact us in case of doubt)
• You will have the support of a mentor at the University of Graz and submit your applicaton with the University of Graz as the host organisation

Two types of Postdoctoral Fellowships exist:

European Fellowships

• are open to researchers moving within Europe, as well as those coming in from other parts of the world.
• can restart a research career after a break, such as parental leave.
• can help researchers coming back to Europe find a new position.

Global Fellowships

• fund positions outside Europe for researchers based in the EU or associated countries.
• last between two and three years.
• the researcher has to return for one additional year to an organisation based in the EU or associated countries.