The 2025-2026 application is now closed. The 2026-2027 competition will open in Spring 2025.

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Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

Artist

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program.

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

FPA

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org.

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program.

Austria

1 Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellowship

Accepted Degree Levels
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Grant Period
October Start
Grant Length
9 Months
Award Type
Special Study/Research
Award Profile

The ifk Internationales Forschungszentrum Kulturwissenschaften | Kunstuniversitaet Linz in Wien (International Research Center for Cultural Studies | University of Art and Design Linz in Vienna) collaborates with Fulbright Austria (the Austrian-American Educational Commission) to offer one fellowship for a Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellow in Cultural Studies.

This fellowship is specifically designed for US PhD candidates who are working on an interdisciplinary research project with a focus on cultural studies. Academic subjects include the humanities, social sciences, and arts. Research projects can, but do not have to, relate to the current research focuses of "cultures of translation," "different work," or "situated in the global." For more information, please visit: http://www.ifk.ac.at/index.php/research-focus.html.

The ifk is an interdisciplinary center for advanced study and offers a privileged working environment among 17 to 20 international and Austrian fellows of different career levels who spend four to nine months there. The fellowship can be easily combined with close working relationships to researchers at other Viennese institutions. The ifk is located in front of the main building of the University of Vienna. Among other things, Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellows benefit from access to its libraries as well as the resources of the Austrian National Library.

Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellows will be provided with a desk, including an iMac or screen and internet connection (also W-Lan) in a shared office with up to four other ifk Junior Fellows (PhD students). The fellows are expected to attend the weekly fellow lectures, mostly on Mondays, and to participate in the weekly meetings (dissertation workshop or fellow meeting). They will have the opportunity to give a presentation themselves in front of a large international audience at the ifk and on Zoom. Participation in additional academic and social programs is optional.

Grant Amount:

  • Travel grant of €2,000; Monthly stipend of €1,250 for nine months (October–June); Monthly rental allowance of max. €500 for nine months (October–June); A one-time travel allowance for conferences in the amount of €300; An all-inclusive allowance for postal charges of €200 for the duration of the grant.
Grant Length
9 Months
Grant Period
October Start

October 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026

Grant Length: 9 months.

Orientation
In-Country Orientation

The Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellowship begins with a week-long orientation in Vienna in mid- to late September.

Candidate Profile

PhD candidates in the humanities, arts, or social sciences whose field of specialization is thematically related to the ifk's interest in the promotion of interdisciplinary studies and/or Viennese, Austrian, and Central European traditions are welcome to apply.

Applicants for the Fulbright-ifk Junior Fellowship will also be considered for traditional Fulbright student grants.

What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?

Please view our US Fulbright Student Program YouTube playlist to learn more about what life is like for US Fulbright students in Austria at https://www.youtube.com/@FulbrightAustria/playlists. 

Eligibility
Residency in host country NOT permitted in year prior to grant
Indicate how many months is considered residency:
6 Months
Dual citizens of this country are eligible

Dual nationals will be considered under special circumstances and in cases where project proposals are of exceptional merit. The FFSB policies apply.

Degree Level of Applicant
  • Master's
  • Doctoral
Special Application Instructions

In your Fulbright online application, please select ifk Award from the Award Name drop-down menu to be considered for this fellowship.

Foreign Language Proficiency
Required - Advanced

German-language proficiency is necessary to fulfill the Fulbright Program's bilateral mandate of promoting mutual understanding, to negotiate the challenges of everyday life, and to fulfill university admission requirements. Advanced proficiency is essential to facilitate participation in the ifk’s array of colloquia and other activities for Junior Fellows; thus, all applicants must submit the Language Self-Evaluation and a Foreign Language Evaluation by a qualified language instructor. Both forms are available on the Fulbright online application system.

Fulbright Proposal Types
Independent Study/Research:
Yes
Graduate Degree Enrollment:
No
Affiliation
Independent Study/Research:
Letter recommended but not required at deadline

Prospective applicants are encouraged to identify appropriate individuals at the ifk to provide on-site guidance.

Affiliation Fees/Tuition
Affiliation Fees/Tuition offered at discretion of host university/Award
Award Benefits
  • A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
  • International travel benefits
  • Accident & sickness health benefits
  • 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
  • 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
Stipend Amount

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

1,250 monthly stipend amount in
€ [Euro]

Grantees receive a monthly stipend of €1,250 for nine months (October–June) from Fulbright Austria and a monthly rental allowance of max. €500 for nine months (October–June) from the ifk. 

One-Time Allowances

This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.

2,000 in
€ [Euro]
  • Research/Materials allowance
  • Local transportation allowance

Grantees receive a travel and relocation allowance of €2,000. Grantees also receive a one-time travel allowance for conferences in the amount of €300 as well as an all-inclusive allowance for postal charges of €200 for the duration of the grant from the ifk. 

Estimated Cost of Living

Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.

The grant is designed to cover basic living expenses, but additional funds may be needed to cover expenses beyond the monthly grant payment.

Dependents
Dependent financial support is NOT available
Housing Arrangements

Grantees will be expected to arrange their housing.

Fulbright Program Management Contact
FBstudent.EUR@iie.org
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
https://www.fulbright.at/
Residency Permits

Grantees are required by the terms and conditions of their awards to have appropriate residence permits, and the timely procurement of appropriate residence permits is strictly the responsibility of individual grantees. If you are aware of any reason that you would not be able to obtain a residence permit in Austria (i.e., if you are currently subject to a ban on entering the EU), please reach out to Fulbright Austria prior to applying.

Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Contact
Darrah Lustig: dlustig@fulbright.at
Additional Online Resources
Fulbright Austria: https://www.fulbright.at/programs/in-austria/students/grant-details/fulbright-ifk-junior-fellowship
ifk: http://www.ifk.ac.at/