VDS PhaNuSpo Completion Grants

October Call 2024: closed

Next Call: April 2025

With the Completion Grants, the VDS PhaNuSpo supports its doctoral students in the final phase of their doctoral studies. At the time of application, work on the dissertation must have progressed to such an extent that the submission of the completed dissertation can be expected by the end of the funding period at the latest. To this end, the doctoral school offers two funding programmes within the framework of the regulations of the University of Vienna.

The two funding schemes

  1. PhaNuSpo Completion Scholarships are dedicated to PhaNuSpo students who have not been employed by the University of Vienna for at least six months before the start of the scholarship. Successful candidates receive monthly 1.050,00 EUR for a maximum duration of six months.
  2. PhaNuSpo Short-term Finishing Contracts are offered to all PhaNuSpo students and those who have been employed by the University of Vienna within six months before the start of the contract.
    The employment duration is 3 months and extent of employment 30 hours/week.
    Job grading in accordance with collective bargaining agreement: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) with relevant work experience determining the assignment to a particular salary grade.

Calls for applications

  • The call for applications for both funding schemes is planned to be published twice a year:
    • in October for 'short-term finishing contracts' and 'completion fellowships' starting between January and June of the following calendar year, and
    • in April for 'short-term finishing contracts' and 'completion fellowships' starting between July and December of the same year.
  • PhaNuSpo doctoral students can only be funded once during the final phase of their studies, either through a 'Completion Scholarship' or a 'Short-Term Finishing Contract'.

Requirements

  • Work on the doctoral thesis must be sufficiently advanced at the time of application so that it can be realistically expected that the completed thesis can be submitted at the latest by the end of the funding period.
  • Very good academic and study record (seminars, publications, conference presentations) during your doctoral studies. Please note that VDS PhaNuSpo's commitment to equal opportunities will take into account any breaks during your doctoral studies, such as parental leave, long-term or chronic illness, or caring responsibilities.
  • Statement from your supervisor providing feedback on the progress of your dissertation and a candid assessment of the time required to complete your dissertation,and a commitment to support you during this finalisation phase.
  • The applicant and supervisor(s) are members of the VDS PhaNuSpo
  • Compliance with the VDS PhaNuSpo regulations for PhD candidates:
    • Agreement to the Code of Good Practice for Doctoral Schools
    • Public presentation (FÖP) within 12 months after enrollment
    • Doctoral thesis agreement (4 weeks after FÖP)
    • Annual progress reports (yearly after thesis agreement)

Application documents

Preparing your application portfolio

  • A report on the current status of the doctoral thesis including
    • an abstract (1,000–2,000 characters including spaces
    • a summary stating the aim/hypothesis, methods, major achievements, scientific results and preliminary conclusions
    • a tabular overview of the peer-reviewed publications that are part of your cumulative thesis, including information on the publication status (for monograph - chapters and their completion status)
    • a detailed work plan for the completion of the thesis.

Please use this template (no more than 4 pages including a list of references, font size of 11pt, single spaced).

  • CV in tabular form including a list of publications (incl. DOI or other persistent identifier) and conference presentations. Please explain any gaps in your CV. (maximum three pages).
  • Positive statement from your supervisor(s).
  • Copies of the approved doctoral thesis agreement, annual progress reports and transcript of records (Sammelzeugnis).

Submission of the application

The online submission link will be published her and will be active throughout the call period.

Use the status report template and upload the application portfolio in two PDF files:

  • report_surname.pdf - consisting of report, CV and supervisor's statement
  • annex_surname.pdf - consisting of doctoral thesis agreement, progress reports and transcripts of records

Selection

The 'Completion Scholarships' and 'Short-term Finishing Contracts' will be awarded competitively based on the submitted documents. The candidates are selected by a jury consisting of experts from the disciplines in our doctoral school. Incomplete applications will not be considered for funding. The jury will discuss and compare the applications and decide which projects will be funded within the financial limits of this funding programme.

The main criteria for funding are:

  • The current state of the doctoral thesis project and the timeline for completion: Has the applicant convincingly made clear that the three months contract is needed for completing their doctoral thesis and that the thesis can be submitted at the end of the funding period?
  • Statement of the supervisor at the VDS PhaNuSpo: Does the supervisor fully support the application?
  • Academic achievements and study progress: Has the applicant achieved comprehensive academic results? Has the applicant already completed almost all or all of the ECTS credits required?
    VDS PhaNuSpo's commitment to equal opportunities will take into account any breaks during your doctoral studies, such as parental leave, long-term or chronic illness, or caring responsibilities

All applicants will be informed about the jury's decision after the jury meeting.

If your application is rejected, you may reapply for the PhaNuSpo Completion Scholarship again at a later date. If you resubmit an application, it must include a statement on the progress of the doctoral thesis since the last application and an explanation of why the scholarship is still needed.

Questions?

Send an e-mail to vds.phanuspo@univie.ac.at or call us at the extension 50030.

 Important Information

Applicants do not have recourse to legal action.

Multiple sponsorships by other institutions and/or the University of Vienna are excluded.

The completion scholarship does not entail employment with the University of Vienna nor a working space. The recipients of the scholarships are responsible for the possible taxation of the scholarship as well as the health insurance during the period of the scholarship and are informed that in case of an annual net income of more than EUR 8.580,- this has to be taxed. If the above conditions are met, the final scholarship is considered as "income from self-employed work".