home>forschung>MUI-START.html

MUI-START Program for young scientists

The MUI-START program is designed as a start-up fund for young scientists at the Postdoctoral level. The aim of the program is to support qualified young researchers in the preparation and generation of initial research data that can serve as the basis for a subsequent application for third-party funding (e.g. FWF, FFG, LBG, EU-Horizon etc.).

The sixteenth call will support collaborative tandem research projects involving two principal investigators, one with a background in basic research and the other in clinical research.

Requirements:

• Applicants must be employed by MUI for the entire duration of the project to be eligible for funding. If this is not the case at the time of submission, applicants should document and justify how this requirement will be met. Employment at MUI must be a minimum of a marginal employment contract.
• Applicants must have completed a doctoral degree (e.g., PhD, clinical PhD) or M.D. degree.
• No more than six years must have elapsed since the applicant's most recent academic degree (e.g., PhD; M. D.). Fully justified career interruptions (e.g. parental leave, national service) will be considered.
• The MUI-START funding cannot be used to finance clinical PhD projects.
• Candidates must have a record of achievement appropriate to their academic age. A minimum of two (accepted) peer-reviewed international publications is required, one at least as first author.
• Candidates that have been funded previously by MUI-Start or TWF/TNF cannot apply.

Duration:
Up to 24 months

Funding level:
Maximum € 60.000 per tandem project

Allocation:
The two-step evaluation procedure is as follows: 1) The MUI-START jury selects the proposals and 2) the pre-selected proposals undergo international peer review.
Final decisions are taken at the MUI-START decision meeting based on the reviewers' assessments.

How to apply:
Applications must be submitted online (GAR)
Application deadline: 06 April 2026
For more information about the programme and how to apply please refer to the current application guidelines.

Application documents:
Curriculum vitae (indicating the duration of your MUI working contract)
Publication list
Academic abstract (ca. 450 words)
Proposal

Template: “Overview of the requested funding”
Confirmation of the head of the department/division
Confirmation of the head of the MUI animal facilities (if applicable)

Contact:
Dr.ⁱⁿ María T. Pérez Mediavilla
Tel.: +43 (0)512/9003-70073
E-Mail: maria.perez@i-med.ac.at