Fulbright Scholar Award

Fulbright-Academy of Fine Arts Vienna Visiting Professor

Austria

Application Deadline
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Award Code
271550-AT
Activity Type
Teaching/Research
A combination of teaching and research as described above. Refer to the award description for any specifications on percentages of time that should be devoted to teaching vs research.
Degree Requirements
Required
Career Profile
Mid-Career Academics
Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for more than seven, and less than 13, years.
Professionals
Awards are open to individuals who have more than seven years of experience in a particular profession.
Senior Academics
Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for more than 13 years.

Number of recipients

Exactly
1
Award Start Period
September 2027 or February 2028
Award Length
4 months
Flex Option
No
Multi-Country/Area Award
No
Disciplines
Accounting/Finance
Art History
Arts
Business
Communications
Economics
Film/Cinema Studies
Information Sciences/Systems
Law
Marketing
Public Administration
Sociology
Urban Planning/Studies
Scholars selected for this award will be required to
Advise and/or mentor students
Conduct a research project of the applicant’s choosing
Teach graduate and/or undergraduate courses of the applicant’s choosing

In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities‎.

Award Activity

A flexible combination of teaching and research activities that entails teaching a minimum of two class sessions (90 minutes each) per week for diploma, master and PhD students offered at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) in the field of arts management, economics of arts, arts/culture economics, entrepreneurial education in the arts, value of arts amenities, and legal issues in cultural management (arts, finance, business, communication, economics, information sciences/systems, international relations, law, marketing, sociology). Grant-related activities may also include advising or supervising advanced students as well as developing joint projects with faculty. The format and content of individual courses and research objectives are negotiated on a consensual basis with the host institutions, contingent upon its needs and the grantee’s interests and expertise. The Academy and WU are seeking individuals who are also open to making an active contribution to the research conducted at the departments as well as to publishing jointly written research papers.

Locations
Location Selection: Award is hosted by the institution listed below
Locations Detail

Academy of Fine Arts Vienna

The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is one of the most renowned and influential art universities in the world. It is firmly established within the regional and international cultural landscape as well as in urban society and can look back on a history of over 330 years. The various institutes with their artistic and scientific focuses as well as the outstanding art collections contribute to its international reputation. 

The Academy is a crucial hub in a network of international art and theory production. Its six institutes are connected through shared responsibilities in teaching and research as well as the development and exploration of the arts from both scientific and artistic-practical perspectives. The Academy drives debates and engages with diverse social contexts. It shapes the conditions under which it works and contributes to public discourse and developments - this is its self-understanding as a recursive university. 

The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna offers its 1,500 students a wide range of curricula that span from painting and sculpture to photography, video, performance, and conceptual art, as well as architecture, stage design, conservation, and restoration. The Institute of Art and Cultural Studies and the Institute of Science and Technology in the Arts ensure a high theoretical standard within teaching in all fields of study through courses and projects, reflecting the position of the arts in the broader historical and social context. Closely related are the Academy’s education-in-the-arts studies, which we consider as a significant contribution to the mediation of art and culture. Doctoral studies, an internationally acclaimed PhD-in-Practice program, and the Master in Critical Studies program complement the diploma programs respectively the bachelor/master programs in architecture. Students can make use of the manifold range of courses through largely individual study paths.  

 

WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business)

WU is the second largest business university in the European Union, with around 2,400 employees in research, teaching, and administration and more than 21,500 students. WU provides space for contemplation and creativity and is a pioneer in research and teaching, all with the goal of increasing economic capability and social prosperity. WU‘s faculty, staff, students and alumni take social responsibility and are characterized by their expertise, open-mindedness, and eagerness to make a difference. WU combines excellence with responsibility. Its rare triple accreditation by EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA is a guarantee for the highest quality research and teaching in the fields of business, economics, and business law. WU offers a modern campus with outstanding architecture near the Vienna Prater park.

For more information about Vienna, visit Austria's official travel portal.

Award Length and Period

Grants must begin in late September 2027 or late February 2028 in line with the Austrian academic year and the mandatory orientation. Grant activities at the host institution will begin on October 1, 2027 or March 1, 2028 and end on January 31, 2028 or June 30, 2028 respectively.

Flex
Flex allowed for only the following activity type(s):
Areas of Interest

Arts management, economics of arts, arts/culture economics, entrepreneurial education in the arts, value of arts amenities, and legal issues in cultural management (arts, finance, business, communication, economics, economics, information sciences/systems, international relations, law, marketing, sociology).

All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).

Citizenship/Residency Requirement
Not applicable – all U.S. citizens are eligible to apply, regardless of dual citizenship or residency.
Invitation Requirement
An invitation letter is optional.
Language Proficiency Requirements
None, English is sufficient
Additional Language Requirement

Instruction will be in English. Some knowledge of German is advantageous but not required. 

Additional Qualification Information

Open to professionals, senior academics (working experience as a teacher or scholar for more than 13 years) and also mid-career academics (between 7 and 13 years of experience). The academic level should be PhD or equivalent as a minimum.

All applicants must meet the global minimum citizenship, residency, degree, and other eligibility requirements.

Award Allowances

€5,000 per month (approx. $5,500; exchange rates may fluctuate) for four months.

Estimated Travel and Relocation Allowance for Grantee

All grantees receive a travel and relocation allowance of €1,000 (approx. $1,100; exchange rates may fluctuate).

Do you offer additional dependent benefits
No
Estimated Cost of Living

For an estimated overview of the cost of living in Austria, please click here.

Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State and the Fulbright Commission in the host country reserve the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.

Austria

What is life like for Fulbrighters in your country?

Fulbright Austria offers up to 23 awards. The majority of awards are anchored at specific Austrian institutions and correspondingly dedicated to host institutions' specific fields of interest, ranging from natural and life sciences, engineering, and business and economics to the social sciences, arts, and humanities. Fulbright Austria hosts two US Scholar cohorts per year, with the majority of scholars arriving in spring.

In recent years, Austria has established itself as one of the top-ten destinations for Fulbright US Scholars, a success which is largely due to the excellent partnerships the Austrian Fulbright commission has built with institutions across the country. As enthusiastic supporters of the Fulbright program, Austrian institutions are excited to welcome US scholars to their campuses and to expand their professional networks. 

Please note that Austrian institutions will be on summer break from July 1 until September 30. If you contact faculty and staff, please consider that turnaround times will potentially be longer as of early July.

Fulbright Austria (the Austrian-American Educational Commission) evaluates proposals in terms of their potential to fulfill the program's mandate of promoting mutual understanding between the peoples of Austria and the United States. Proposals for flexible combinations of teaching and research will be evaluated for their scholarly excellence, comparative approaches, bilateral relevance and potential for establishing or enhancing institutional relationships. As a rule, the quality of an applicant's proposal is more important to the Austrian-American Educational Commission than the academic rank of the applicant.

Fulbright Austria expects applicants to take all possible measures to avoid plagiarism. For resources on plagiarism, please visit these external resources:
• The Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research’s Best Practice Guide for Research Integrity and Ethics
• The Austrian Agency for Research Integrity’s website

Grantees to Austria are responsible for costs related to obtaining a visa in the US (processing fees, hotel, travel, etc.).

In country, the first grant payment will be disbursed at the start of the grantee's assignment, pending submission of the Austrian bank information form. Bank processing times for the first grant payment may take up to two weeks from the date of submission. Grantees should be prepared to cover their own expenses for this period. No dependent support is available. 

For an estimated overview of the cost of living in Austria, please visit: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/austria

For further information on life in Austria, please visit the U.S. Embassy Vienna's website and the Austrian Embassy Washington's website.

Hibat-Ullah Khelifi, MPPA, Scholar Program Officer
Fulbright Austria (Austrian-American Educational Commission):
Email: hkhelifi@fulbright.at
Address: Fulbright Austria, MQ, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Website: www.fulbright.at

Previous Fulbright Recipients

To view the alumni who have awards to Austria, please visit the grant pages on Fulbright Austria's website at https://www.fulbright.at/programs/in-austria/scholars.

Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.