The Department for Migration and Globalisation (DEMIG) at the University for Continuing Education Krems invites early-career researchers in migration studies and related disciplines to apply for departmental support for an Ernst Mach grant – worldwide, with DEMIG as their host institution.
The programme supports research stays in Austria lasting one to nine months and is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research. It welcomes researchers from countries other than Austria, subject to the programme’s eligibility requirements, including an age limit of 35 years. Full details on eligibility, funding and application procedures are available on the OeAD programme website.
Who we are looking for
DEMIG seeks visiting research fellows with a strong academic profile relative to their career stage, sound methodological skills and a clearly defined project relevant to migration research. Applicants should be nearing completion of their PhD or have recently completed it. They should also intend to use their stay at DEMIG to develop a postdoctoral research proposal for submission to the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) ESPRIT programme, in collaboration with the department.
We envisage the fellowship as an opportunity to advance a focused research project, establish academic collaborations and lay the groundwork for a subsequent ESPRIT application. Applicants should demonstrate how their proposed research stay would contribute to these objectives and help them develop an independent research profile.
Proposals should align with one or more of DEMIG’s research clusters:
- Migration Processes and Drivers
- Migration Policy, Politics and Governance
- Integration and Social Cohesion
Applicants are encouraged to consult our research clusters and ongoing projects and identify specific connections between their proposed work and the department’s research.
What we offer
DEMIG supports selected candidates in preparing their Ernst Mach grant applications and serves as the host institution for successful applicants. Fellows receive a workspace, access to the department’s research infrastructure and individual academic support throughout their stay.
As visiting researchers, fellows become part of an interdisciplinary and international research community. We encourage active participation in departmental activities and collaboration through joint publications, policy papers, conferences, workshops and public discussions.
How to apply
Please send the following documents to migration@donau-uni.ac.at by 31 October 2026:
- An academic CV, including relevant publications, your current institutional affiliation and the date of your PhD award or expected completion.
- A project outline of approximately two pages, setting out your research question, theoretical approach, proposed methods, expected outputs and intended duration of stay. Within this outline, please devote approximately half a page to explaining how your project aligns with one or more DEMIG research clusters and would complement or advance their ongoing work. Please also briefly explain how the fellowship would contribute to the development of a subsequent FWF/ESPRIT proposal.
Applications will be assessed on the applicant’s academic profile, the quality and feasibility of the proposed project, its fit with DEMIG’s research and its potential to provide a foundation for an ESPRIT application.
Late applications will not be considered. Applicants will be notified by 9 November 2026 whether DEMIG can support their application. Selected candidates will receive feedback and recommendations for preparing their final submission.
The deadline for submitting the full Ernst Mach grant application to the OeAD is 1 December 2026. Departmental support does not constitute an award of funding; applications are subject to the OeAD’s selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and learning about your research ideas.
Best regards,
Mathias Czaika
Head of the Department of Migration and Globalisation,
University for Continuing Education Krems
