Austria Government Scholarships 2027–2028: Can You Apply? Full Process Guidance
Austria has announced a new round of government-backed scholarships for the 2027–2028 academic year, but international applicants should resist the temptation to read this as one giant “fully funded Austria scholarship.”
It is actually a group of 5 separate OeAD-administered programmes, and they serve very different applicants: current Bachelor’s and Master’s students, PhD researchers, postdocs, former OeAD scholars, and specialists in Austrian literature.
For most foreign students, the useful question is not “Is Austria offering scholarships?” It is: which of these programmes actually fits my current academic stage?
Quick Opportunity Review Box
| Programme | Best suited to | Main deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Ernst Mach Grant – Worldwide | PhD students, recent graduates, postdocs | December 1, 2026 |
| Ernst Mach Grant – University of Applied Sciences | Current Bachelor’s/Master’s students | February 1, 2027 |
| Ernst Mach Follow-up Grant | Former OeAD scholars/postdocs | February 1, 2027 |
| Ernst Mach Grant – ASEA-UNINET | Full PhD/postdoc/music applicants from eligible Asian countries | March 1, 2027 |
| Franz Werfel Fellowship | Austrian literature/German studies researchers | September 15, 2026 |
Bachelor’s and Master’s Students: Look at the University of Applied Sciences Route
The Ernst Mach Grant for Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences is the most relevant option for current Bachelor’s and Master’s students from eligible non-European countries and Ukraine.
Applicants normally need to be enrolled at a university outside Austria and must first obtain acceptance for an exchange or free-mover study period at an Austrian University of Applied Sciences.
The grant supports a 4–10 month study stay rather than an entire Austrian degree.
This distinction matters. Students searching for a four-year Bachelor’s scholarship or a complete two-year Master’s should not assume this programme will finance the whole qualification.
PhD Students and Researchers Have 2 Very Different Routes
The Ernst Mach Grant – Worldwide is open broadly to applicants from countries other than Austria and supports short research stays of 1–9 months.
It is especially relevant to PhD candidates already enrolled outside Austria, recent graduates and postdoctoral researchers seeking an Austrian academic host.
The grant is not designed to fund a complete Austrian PhD.
By contrast, the Ernst Mach Grant – ASEA-UNINET can fund a full 36-month PhD for eligible applicants from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
That makes ASEA-UNINET the standout programme in the 2027–2028 announcement for anyone looking for a genuine full-doctorate funding route rather than temporary mobility.
The 2 Specialist Scholarships Most Applicants Should Ignore
The Ernst Mach Follow-up Grant is only useful if you have previously received an OeAD scholarship and now work in research or university teaching in an eligible developing country.
The Franz Werfel Fellowship is even narrower. It is aimed at university researchers and teachers specializing in German studies with a focus on Austrian literature.
These are valuable schemes, but they are not realistic options for the average international student searching for general Austria funding.
Why Austria’s 2027 Scholarship Announcement Is Easier to Misread Than It Looks?
The strongest risk in this funding round is not weak funding; it is misclassification.
Several of the announced programmes are called “grants” or “scholarships,” but most do not finance a complete Austrian Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD. The Ernst Mach Worldwide route, for example, supports a temporary research stay, while the University of Applied Sciences programme funds a limited mobility period. Only the ASEA-UNINET Full PhD route among this group clearly supports an entire 36-month doctorate.
That matters because an applicant could spend weeks building a file for a programme that was never intended to fund the degree they actually want.
The broader lesson is that Austrian funding increasingly rewards academic mobility, research collaboration and targeted international exchange, rather than simply paying full tuition and living costs for any foreign student who wants an Austrian degree.
For 2027–2028 applicants, the safest strategy is therefore to classify the programme first by degree stage and funding duration, and only then decide whether the scholarship is worth pursuing.
How to Apply for Austrian Scholarships? — Start With the Right Category
Use this order:
- Identify your academic stage: Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD or postdoc.
- Match it to the correct OeAD programme.
- Check nationality and age restrictions.
- Find an Austrian host university, supervisor or exchange institution where required.
- Prepare transcripts, CV, research or study plan, recommendation material and host confirmation.
- Submit through the official Austrian scholarship application system before the programme deadline.
For the Ernst Mach Worldwide route, applicants should secure an Austrian academic host before applying.
For the University of Applied Sciences route, students normally need exchange or free-mover acceptance first.
For ASEA-UNINET, applicants should follow the full PhD, postdoc or music-specific application procedure because each has different requirements.
Which Austria Government Scholarship Should You Target?
Following table will help you to laser target the Austrian scholarship thats best suitable for you:
| Applicant Profile | Best-Match Austrian Scholarship |
|---|---|
| Current Bachelor’s or Master’s student | Ernst Mach Grant – Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences |
| PhD student already enrolled outside Austria | Ernst Mach Grant – Worldwide |
| Applicant seeking a complete funded PhD in Austria from an eligible ASEA-UNINET country | Ernst Mach Grant – ASEA-UNINET Full PhD |
| Postdoctoral researcher | Ernst Mach Worldwide or ASEA-UNINET Postdoc, depending on nationality and institutional affiliation |
| Former OeAD scholarship holder | Ernst Mach Follow-up Grant |
| Researcher specializing in Austrian literature / German studies | Franz Werfel Fellowship |
Last date to Apply
The earliest deadline belongs to the Franz Werfel Fellowship, which closes on September 15, 2026. Because this programme is aimed specifically at researchers working on Austrian literature, applicants who fit that narrow academic profile should treat it as the most urgent opportunity in the 2027–2028 Austrian scholarship group.
The Ernst Mach Grant – Worldwide follows on December 1, 2026. PhD candidates, recent graduates and postdoctoral researchers using this route should secure an Austrian academic host well before the closing date, as the host relationship is central to the application.
For students targeting the Ernst Mach Grant for Austrian Universities of Applied Sciences or the Ernst Mach Follow-up Grant, the next projected deadline is February 1, 2027. These two schemes serve very different applicants, so eligibility should be checked before any documents are prepared.
The final major deadline is the Ernst Mach Grant – ASEA-UNINET, whose application cycle opens on September 15, 2026 and closes on March 1, 2027. Full PhD applicants should use the longer preparation period to secure an eligible Austrian supervisor and develop the required research proposal.
The practical rule is simple: choose the programme that matches your academic stage first, then work backwards from its deadline.