The Ernst Mach Grant pays for a research or study stay in Austria. It is named after the Austrian physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach, is financed by the Federal Ministry, and is run through the OeAD. There are several versions of it, and the right one for you depends on where you are from, what you are studying and how long you want to stay.
The worldwide grant: the one most people mean
This is the broad version. It is open to young researchers from all disciplines and all countries except Austria, for a stay of 1 to 9 months. The age limit is 35. You apply online, and the application window runs from September until 1 December.
Because the window is long, don't treat the closing date as the day you start. Ask a host in Austria early, because you need somewhere to go before you can apply. The OeAD does not match you with an institution, so finding a supervisor or department is on you.
The grant for universities of applied sciences
If you want to spend time at an Austrian university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule), there is a separate strand. It is for undergraduates and graduates from non-European universities, runs 4 to 10 months, has the same age limit of 35, and takes applications online from October until 1 February.
Notice the difference: this one is for students enrolled at a non-European university, while the worldwide grant is for researchers. If you are unsure which fits you, check the definitions on the OeAD pages before you write anything. Our scholarships section also lists the follow-up grant and ASEA-UNINET alongside this one.
The follow-up grant and ASEA-UNINET
The Ernst Mach Follow-Up Grant is for postdocs and lecturers from non-European developing countries who have held an OeAD grant before. It runs 1 to 3 months, and the age limit is 45. It is a way back to Austria for people who already had a funded stay.
The ASEA-UNINET strand is for nationals of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Undergraduates and graduates in music performance come for 9 months, postdocs for 4 to 9 months, and postgraduates for up to 36 months. The durations are quite different, so read the strand that matches your level rather than the general page.
Deadlines and the 2026/27 call
Deadlines shift between calls, so always read the current one. For the 2026/27 call, the deadline was 1 February 2026 for the universities of applied sciences and follow-up grants, and 1 March 2026 for ASEA-UNINET. The worldwide grant for 2027/28 closes on 1 December 2026.
| Strand | Who it is for | Duration | Age limit | Application window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | Young researchers, all disciplines, all countries except Austria | 1 to 9 months | 35 | September to 1 December |
| Universities of applied sciences | Undergraduates and graduates from non-European universities | 4 to 10 months | 35 | October to 1 February |
| Follow-up | Postdocs and lecturers from non-European developing countries with a previous OeAD grant | 1 to 3 months | 45 | See current call |
| ASEA-UNINET | Nationals of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam | 9 months (music), 4 to 9 months (postdocs), up to 36 months (postgraduates) | See current call | See current call |
One caution about the table: where a cell says "see current call", the figure was not in what we checked, so confirm it with the OeAD rather than guessing.
Money, permits and the paperwork nobody warns you about
The OeAD does not ask you for proof of your own funds when you apply. But the residence authority can ask for it if your accommodation costs more than the stated limit. So the grant is not the whole story: keep your bank statements and your rental contract, and read the current wording on migration.gv.at.
If you are from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland and you are staying more than six months, you need a Residence Permit, Student. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days. That is a decision for the residence authority, not for the OeAD and not for us.
Once you are enrolled, the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students. At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters, and most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester. Whether your grant covers that is a question for the OeAD's terms, not something to assume.
Getting admitted is a separate job
The grant is only half of it. Admission is handled by each institution, not centrally. The OeAD does not process study applications, and there is no central application portal. At public universities the general deadline for most bachelor's programmes is 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester. Other programmes, and applicants from outside the EU/EEA, can have different deadlines.
So build your plan in two tracks. Track one is the grant application. Track two is the admission application with the institution itself, with its own dates. Look at the list of Austrian universities to see what is on offer, and browse the scholarship directory for other options such as Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters and CEEPUS.
How to make the application stronger
- Pick a host before you write a word. A named department and a person who has agreed to supervise you does more than any polished cover letter.
- Match the strand to your level. Undergraduates, postgraduates and postdocs have different windows and lengths. Applying to the wrong one wastes a cycle.
- Explain the stay, not your CV. Say what you will do in Austria, with whom, and why it needs to happen in Austria.
- Check the age limit first. 35 for the worldwide and universities of applied sciences strands, 45 for the follow-up grant.
- Start in September. The worldwide window opens then, and a December deadline arrives faster than you think.
Where to check the numbers
Our programme catalogue lists 65 Austrian higher education institutions and 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction, imported from the Austrian national register: 455 taught in English only and the rest in German and English. Those are our own counts. Programmes and fees come from the register as of October 2026, and you must confirm them with the institution.
For anything we have not given you, the exact grant rate, the full document list, the current strand rules, go to the OeAD, studyinaustria.at, oesterreich.gv.at or migration.gv.at. Those pages change, and they are the authority, not us.
Sources
- OeAD, Ernst Mach Grant programme pages
- OeAD, programmes A to Z (ASEA-UNINET)
- OeAD, FAQ on the Ernst Mach Grant worldwide
- OeAD, incoming scholarships 2026/27
- Study in Austria, application and admission
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of foreign students
- Study in Austria, tuition fees
- oesterreich.gv.at, residence permit for students
- Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for the Ernst Mach Grant worldwide?
Young researchers from all disciplines and all countries except Austria, with an age limit of 35. The stay runs 1 to 9 months and you apply online between September and 1 December. You need a host in Austria before you apply, because the OeAD does not place you.
What is the deadline for the Ernst Mach Grant?
It depends on the strand. The worldwide grant for 2027/28 closes on 1 December 2026. For the 2026/27 call, the deadline was 1 February 2026 for the universities of applied sciences and follow-up grants and 1 March 2026 for ASEA-UNINET.
Does the Ernst Mach Grant cover proof of funds for the visa?
The OeAD does not ask for proof of your own funds. The residence authority may still require it if your accommodation costs more than the stated limit. If you stay more than six months outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, you need a Residence Permit – Student, with a EUR 218 fee on oesterreich.gv.at and a decision within 90 days.
Do I apply to the OeAD for my study place too?
No. Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally, and the OeAD does not handle study applications. There is no central application portal. At public universities most bachelor's programmes close on 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester, though other programmes and applicants from outside the EU/EEA can differ.