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ISTA-Fellow

ISTA-Fellow: Postdoctoral Program

Are you eager to perform innovative basic research in an international environment? Do you want to push the frontiers of science and go beyond the scientific norms together with supervisors and colleagues that are among the best in the world?

The ISTA-Fellow program at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) offers fully funded (two-year) postdoctoral fellowships for highly qualified candidates who have completed or will soon complete their PhD or equivalent in the natural or computer sciences, mathematics or any related discipline.

Benefits of the ISTA-Fellow fellowships

  • International, Interdisciplinary, and Intersectoral fellowship program
  • 2-year, fully funded postdoctoral position

Eligibility

  • All research fields supported at ISTA will be eligible (see https://ista.ac.at/en/research).
  • At the date of the deadline, applicants must hold a PhD (or equivalent) or have at least four years of full-time equivalent research experience and anticipate the completion of their PhD degree before the start of their fellowship (which should not be later than ~8 months post-deadline – see guide for applicants). A fellowship contract will not be issued until a copy of the diploma/proof of successful defense is provided.
  • To be additionally considered for a COE-Fellow award, applicants must justify that their proposed project aligns with the research themes/goals of an existing Cluster of Excellence (COE) program in which ISTA participates (see Guide for Applicants and section below).
  • Researchers already employed at ISTA at the call deadline are not eligible to apply.

Calls for proposals: ISTA-Fellow will recruit 10 fellows, with further fellowships (COE-Fellow) available for eligible applications/projects aligning with ‘Cluster of Excellence’ (COE) program themes.

Call deadline: TBC

See ‘How to apply’ section below for the Guide for Applicants and application links. Should you have questions on the ISTA-Fellow application process, please see the FAQ section below or contact: ista-fellow@ista.ac.at

COE-Fellow award

Cluster of Excellence (COE) programs are large-scale, long-term cooperative research programs on key basic research topics. Each COE brings together up to eight universities and/or research institutions from across Austria, and are characterized by cutting-edge research, research-led education, and the advancement of junior researchers, as well as an exchange of knowledge at national and international levels.

ISTA will contribute to existing COE programs in which it participates through COE-Fellow awards. Applicants may request to be considered for a COE-Fellow award in addition to being considered for an ISTA-Fellow award (only one award will be made per fellow), through a single application process. To be considered for a COE-fellow award, applicants must be hosted by a COE-eligible group (applicant must confirm with requested host) and provide a justification (see ‘Guide for Applicants’, section C) as to how their project aligns with the relevant COE program themes.

Current COE programs eligible for ISTA COE-Fellow awards are:

Working conditions

Funding: ISTA-Fellows receive 2-year, full time employment contracts with an internationally competitive salary (min. 69,000 EUR gross) and full social security coverage.

Research Environment: The ISTA-Fellow program offers a stimulating and interdisciplinary environment. Research group leaders are at the forefront of their respective fields: three quarters of faculty have received an ERC grant. Labs are equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation and central Scientific Service Units offer facilities and know-how on an international level.

Family Services: ISTA has an onsite daycare. Reserving a spot in the daycare is subject to availability.

Housing: Depending upon availability, a room in the on-campus guesthouse or apartments can be rented, giving incoming postdocs time to find more permanent accommodation.

Language: The official language of the institute is English. In order to help fellows integrate in the host country, ISTA offers German-language courses on campus.

How to apply (incl. downloads)

Application Process: Overview

  1. Download and carefully review the Guide for Applicants (below)
  2. Create an account at apply.ista.ac.at
  3. Verify your account by following the instructions contained within the email sent to you.
  4. Complete the application by entering all required information and uploading all required documents (see Guide for Applicants).
  5. Submit your application.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications no later than 3 months after the application deadline (including reserve list status where relevant).

Downloads



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