Fulbright Scholar Award

Fulbright-Natural History Museum Vienna Visiting Researcher

Austria

Application Deadline
closed
Award Code
24473-AT
Activity Type
Professional Project
The Professional Project activity type provides professionals and artists in various fields the opportunity to interact with relevant organizations abroad to explore a topic related to their field without answering a defined research question. Professional Projects may include: professional consultations; artist residencies; visits to organizations in the applicant's field; practical experience in day-to-day operations; public lectures; mentoring; arranging exhibitions, performances or musical compilations; preparation of print materials (books, articles, or reviews); exchange of expertise with other professionals; participation in public events; or other appropriate professional activities.
Research
Research includes activities involving scientific research, qualitative research, quantitative research, and practice-based research, including artistic research. Research can take place in locations such as the laboratory, the field, the archives, or an artist residency. It can be experimental, clinical, or applied. It can include examining policies, systems, theories, methods, interactions, and works of art and music, with the objective to evaluate or develop new knowledge or works. Quantifiable (tangible) outcomes can include publications (books, journal articles, scripts, etc.), conference presentations, artistic and musical compositions, exhibitions, performances, films, and patents.
Degree Requirements
Ph.D. (or other terminal degree) required
Career Profile
Early Career Academics
Awards are open to those who have been working in the capacity of a teacher or scholar for no more than seven years.
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 2024 or February 2025
Award Length
4 months
Flex Option
Yes
Multi-Country/Area Award
No
Disciplines
Anthropology
Archaeology
Arts
Biology
Communication
Environmental Sciences
Geology
Museum Studies
Paleontology
Scholars selected for this award can choose to
The applicant can propose any of the listed activities

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

Scientific research at the Natural History Museum in Vienna, one of the premier research museums in the world, which houses over 30 million artifacts in its extensive and precious historic collections in the fields of anthropology, botany, geology, mineralogy, paleontology, prehistory, and zoology. It is equipped with modern electron microprobe and electron microscopy as well as DNA laboratories.

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

Natural History Museum Vienna 

The Natural History Museum Vienna is a public institution and one of the largest non-university research centers in Austria. The museum connects art and science under one roof with about 40 exhibit halls and over 60 scientists. As a research center in earth sciences, life sciences, and human sciences, the Natural History Museum Vienna features modern research labs and exciting collections for the study of anthropology, biological diversity, prehistoric objects, and early human life. The collection includes over 30 million objects including a range of fossils and dinosaurs, pre-historic treasures including the Venus of Willendorf, minerals and gems, extinct animals species, the largest and oldest meteorite display, a digital planetarium and a world famous herbarium.

To learn more about Vienna, click here.

Award Length and Period

4 months

Grants must begin in late September 2024 or late February 2025 in line with the Austrian academic year and the mandatory orientation. Teaching and research at the host institution will begin on October 1, 2024 or March 1, 2025 and end on January 31, 2025 or June 30, 2025 respectively.

Flex Description

The Natural History Museum will consider applications for Flex awards which allow grantees to split their four-month stay into two two-month stays, if appropriate to the design of the research project. All grant activity must be completed by June 30, 2024.

The Flex Award is designed for scholars who require multiple visits to the host country. This option allows grants to be conducted over two or three short segments. Applicants must select Flex in the application form, and clearly describe their plans for Flex in their project statement, including a project timeline. Flex grantees may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host-country academic community.

Grant segments are allowed to be conducted in summer months (June, July, and August)
No
Areas of Interest

All disciplines relevant to the collections and resources of the Natural History Museum, Vienna will be considered. The Museum's departments are home to around 60 staff scientists carrying out fundamental research in a wide range of fields related to earth sciences, life sciences, and human sciences.

All specializations that address the Museum's extensive collections, research infrastructure, and potential collaboration with on-site research staff and curators are eligible. Please note that if applying in the “Arts” sector this relation to our scientific work is particularly important and should lead to an application in “Arts and Science;” if applying under “Communication” it should be in “Science Communication.” 

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
A letter of invitation is preferred.
Language Proficiency Requirements
None, English is sufficient. However, feasibility of conducting the project must be demonstrated in the project statement
Additional Language Requirement

English (Some knowledge of German is advantageous.)

Additional Qualification Information

Open to all academics and professionals with appropriate terminal degrees and expertise.

Additional Comments

This award is generously funded by the Natural History Museum Vienna.

Award Allowances

 €3,300 per month (approx. $3,600; 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?

To learn more about Fulbright U.S. Scholar awards in Austria for 2024-25, please view our archived webinar and slides to hear directly from the Fulbright Commission, IIE staff and U.S. Scholar alums regarding award details, the scholar experience and application guidance.

Fulbright Austria offers up to 24 awards, including two research awards, 21 teaching awards with research options, one distinguished teaching award, and three artist-in-residence awards. 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.

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 campus and 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.

For an estimated overview of the cost of living in Austria, please visit: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/austria. No dependent support is available. For further information on life in Austria, please visit the U.S. Embassy Vienna's website at https://at.usembassy.gov/ and the Austrian Embassy Washington's website https://www.austria.org/overview.

Dr. Franziska Brunner, Scholar Program Officer, Austrian-American Educational Commission (Fulbright Austria):
Email: fbrunner@fulbright.at
Address: Fulbright Austria, quartier21/MQ, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna, Austria
Website: www.fulbright.at
Diversity Statement download: .pdf

 

 

Previous Fulbright Recipients

To view the alumni who have awards to Austria, please visit Fulbright Austria's website at https://www.fulbright.at/programs/in-austria/scholars.
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Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.