Fulbright-ifk Senior Fellow in Cultural Studies
Austria
Number of recipients
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.
Conduct research at the ifk International Research Center for Cultural Studies, University of Art and Design-Linz in Vienna. Research should be relevant to the ifk's overall research program, especially to its current thematic research foci (“cultures of translation”, “different work” and “situated in the global”).
The ifk discourages proposals that are either exclusively theoretical or exclusively empirical in character. It supports projects that combine empirical investigation with thoughtful theoretical work, and develop an interdisciplinary methodological framework.
The ifk offers a public lecture, and grantees can participate in ifk events, workshops, and conferences. In order to facilitate the academic exchange among the fellows, the ifk expects grantees to participate in all fellow lectures and fellow meetings. Senior fellows are also encouraged to interact with ifk research fellows and junior fellows.
ifk International Research Center for Cultural Studies, University of Art and Design-Linz in Vienna
To learn more about Vienna, Austria, visit Austria's official travel portal.
Grants must begin in late September 2025 or late February 2026 in line with the Austrian academic year and the mandatory orientation. Grant activities at the host institution will begin on October 1, 2025 or March 1, 2026 and end on January 31, 2026 or June 30, 2026 respectively.
Applicants may request a specific grant period; however, award dates are contingent upon ifk logistics. Visit the ifk's website for further information.
Interdisciplinary and comparative cultural studies, social sciences, and humanities that are relevant to Viennese, Austrian, and Central European traditions.
The philosophy of the ifk International Research Center for Cultural Studies, University of Art and Design Linz is founded on the principles of clarity, communication and interdisciplinary exchange. Centers such as the ifk make it possible to pursue one's own academic projects away from the workaday routine of the university. They offer the opportunity of exchanging views in discussion groups and conversations, of developing new ideas and of testing out plans for future projects.
The free exchange of ideas between specialists in different subject areas is, however, not just a prerequisite of innovative research. In the academic world it usually encounters a certain resistance in established disciplines which have developed their own specific terminologies which cannot be easily translated. The success of the ifk depends on the creation of a communicative milieu in which questions common to diverse disciplines can be exchanged.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
Working languages at the ifk are English and German. Some knowledge of German is advantageous but not required.
If German is required to complete the proposed research project, proficiency must be documented in the project proposal.
This award is open to academics and professionals with required terminal degrees, career profile, and research experience in relevant fields.
ifk International Research Center for Cultural Studies, University of Art and Design Linz in Vienna
Applicants may contact Dr. Julia Boog-Kaminski for additional information on the ifk and its programs.
To view the alumni who have received this award, please visit Fulbright Austria's website.
This award is generously funded by the ifk International Research Center for Cultural Studies, University of Art and Design Linz in Vienna.
€2,325 (approx. $2,500; exchange rates may fluctuate) for four months
All grantees receive a travel and relocation allowance of €1,000 (approx. $1,100; exchange rates may fluctuate).
For an estimated overview of the cost of living in Austria, please click here.
Rental allowance of max. €1,400 (approx. $1,500) for up to two people, or €1,500 (approx. $1,600) for more than two people, is provided by the ifk. The host institution also provides an office space with library, computer, internet, and e-mail facilities.
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
Fulbright Austria offers up to 24 awards, including two research awards and 22 teaching awards with research options. The great 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.
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.
Dr. Franziska Brunner, Scholar Program Officer
Fulbright Austria (Austrian-American Educational Commission):
Email: fbrunner@fulbright.at
Address: Fulbright Austria, MQ, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Website: www.fulbright.at
Diversity Statement download: .pdf
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.