WKO research grant

Research grant from the Erzherzog-Johann-Zukunftsfonds of the Styrian Economic Chamber 2025/2026

The WKO research grant programme will continue in the academic year 2025/2026 and has been anchored in the Erzherzog-Johann-Zukunftsfonds association since the start of this academic year. In the academic year 2025/2026, the programme will again award 22 scholarships of 2,500 euros each plus 500 euros for the supervising institute for business-related master's or diploma theses started in the academic year 2024/2025 . The University of Graz can make 5 to a maximum of 10 nominations.

A jury of experts, consisting of one representative per university and three representatives of the WKO Styria, will decide on the submittedcapplications. If sufficient applications are received, each university will be awarded at least one WKO research grant. In addition, one thesis is to be selected from the series of award-winning diploma/master's theses that particularly stands out in terms of economic relevance and excellence. This scholarship holder will receive an additional prize ("WKO Research Prize for Young Scientists") in the amount of 1,000 euros.

 

Criteria:

The master's or diploma thesis must have been started in the academic year 2024/2025. The submitted thesis can still be in progress or already completed at the time of the deadline.

 

Submission documents:

  1. Application form incl. signature (optionally in German or English)
  2. Curriculum vitae of the applicant (in tabular form)
  3. Photo of the applicant (as JPG or PNG file)
  4. Description of the content of the diploma/master thesis (max. 1 page)
  5. Signed declaration of consent from the applicant
  6. Declaration of support from the cooperation partner, if there is a cooperation with third parties (esp. companies) in the context of the diploma/master's thesis
  7. Declaration of consent for data processing for the University of Graz

 

Deadline for submission:

24 October 2025

Please send the submission (signed as PDF) electronically to forschung(at)uni-graz.at.

The nomination of the candidates of the University of Graz to the expert jury will be made by the Vice Rector for Research.

 

Further procedure:

December 2025: Meeting of the panel of experts and notification of the funding decision to the applicants

June 2026: Event to honour the scholarship holders (date and location to be announced)

 

Please send enquiries to: Dr Robert Fuchs (robert.fuchs(at)uni-graz.at, ext. 3990).