Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation scholarships

The Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation runs an exchange programme for research stays between Austria and the U.S. It is aimed mainly at students of technical, natural or economic fields. The stated aim is to expand academic exchange and strengthen mutual understanding between the two countries.

Since 2008 the foundation has offered more than 1,300 scholarships to Austrian and American students. Funding runs from €4,000 to €10,000 for research visits of at least three months.

This is not tied to a single university. Austrian applicants go through the international office of their Austrian partner university. On the U.S. side, fellows have visited places such as MIT in Massachusetts, but the page says applications are possible to any U.S. university where supervision can be secured.

After the stay, you hand in a research paper with a technical aspect and a field report of the research stay. The paper is made available to the public via the Foundation's website.

• Enrolled at any U.S. university or an Austrian partner university.
• Studying a technical, natural or economic field.
• Having an outstanding record of achievement in your field of study.
• Willing to write a research paper with a technical aspect in the US or Austria.
• Note that the international offices of the home universities may have limitations on the eligible fields of study, levels of degrees, or additional requirements.

• Stays of 3 months (90 days): €4,000.
• Stays of 4 months (120 days): €5,000.
• Stays of 5 months (150 days): €6,000.
• Stays of 6.5 months (195 days) or longer: bonus of €1,500.
• Students in master programmes: bonus of €1,500.
• Students in Ph.D. programmes: bonus of €2,500.
• Funds are paid in two installments based on the duration of the research stay.
• Only the research stay is valid, not the travel period.

First, establish contact with a faculty member at the desired host university to secure academic supervision and support for your research paper. You also need supervision at your home university. It is recommended to seek assistance from faculty members or international offices of your home university, as they may be able to use already established connections with host universities. Alternatively, contact the relevant institute or department at the host university directly.

Once supervision by a faculty member at both the host and home university has been secured, prepare the required documents:

• Letter of motivation (2 pages max.).
• Research project description (1,500 words minimum, 2,500 words maximum), covering the title of the research project, supervisors at home and host university, a short description of the research agenda, general goals, a detailed description of the research problem, methodological considerations, workflow, and relevance and expected results.
• Curriculum Vitae in tabular format.
• Letters of recommendation (optional).
• List of publications (optional).
• List of lectures (optional).

Send the complete application documents to the international office of the Austrian home or host university. Consult them for internal deadlines and further information. The universities then submit the applications to the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation, and all proposals are evaluated by experts based on a set of predetermined criteria.

Confirm every detail on the official page before you apply.