FAQ – Erhard Busek Grant
Erhard Busek Grant
The Erhard Busek Grant aims to enable highly qualified students from non-European developing countries to complete a full two-year Master’s programme in Austria. This excellence scholarship supports highly qualified students, particularly in STEM and English-taught Master’s programmes.
Fields of study in groups 5-7 and Health Sciences (0913, 0914, 0915, and 0921) according to ISCED; priority is given to STEM and English-taught programmes.
Graduates of a Bachelor’s degree who wish to pursue a two-year Master’s programme in Austria and whose degree was obtained at a higher education institution in a non-European developing country; scholarships are awarded only to students who can provide proof of unrestricted admission to the relevant Master’s programme.
Students receive a monthly scholarship rate of 1,300 euro and a one-time travel allowance of up to 1,200 euro.
No.
Tuition fees are not covered by the scholarship. Erhard Busek Grant recipients are exempted from these fees by the admitting higher education institutions.
International joint programmes are excluded from this national funding in general. The objective of the Erhard Busek-grant defines that only complete two-year Master's programmes in Austria can be funded. A permanent presence in Austria is a prerequisite for nationally funded incoming scholarship programmes (see guidelines by the BMFWF, only available in German), which means that Austrian funding cannot be used for admission to foreign universities.
If it is possible to complete the joint programme with a stay abroad of a maximum of one semester, it can be funded by the Busek-grant. The last semester and the final degree must take place in Austria in order to ensure integration into the Austrian labour market. Any departure from Austria must be reported to the OeAD in good time and the scholarship is suspended during this time.
The Erhard Busek Grant specifically aims to integrate scholarship holders into the Austrian labour market.
Short stays abroad (maximum one semester) are permitted if they are necessary for the studies. The scholarship is suspended during this time. Internships should also preferably be completed in Austrian companies in order to facilitate the objective of an integration into the Austrian labour market.
As a general rule, a written confirmation from the supervisor or mentor must be obtained for absences of one week or more, and the scholarship rate will be reduced for absences of 15 days or more.
Responsibility of the higher education institutions
Higher education institutions are responsible for applying for the quota of desired scholarship places. As part of the admission procedure, they pre-select the students they wish to offer a scholarship to on the basis of defined criteria and a ranking. The OeAD must be notified of the candidates deemed suitable by issuing a letter of endorsement to the students to be nominated. Finally, the applying higher education institution is responsible for ensuring the academic supervision of the expected students, for appointing a contact person (mentor) in addition to academic supervision and for facilitating the professional and organisational requirements for the implementation of the intended study programmes.
This can be determined independently by each higher education institution.
Call procedure
Phase I: Higher Education Institutions (declaration of interest)
Phase II: Students (scholarship application)
- Phase I (declaration of interest): Higher education institutions apply to the OeAD for the intended scholarship places for an Erhard Busek Grant as part of a formal declaration of interest (submission deadline: 15.12.2024). They confirm that the academic and organisational support of the students at the higher education institution is guaranteed. A selection committee consisting of the BMFWF and the OeAD decides on the allocation of scholarship places.
- Phase II (scholarship application): Based on the allocated quota, the higher education institutions then select the best-qualified candidates from among those students who apply to them for a relevant Master's programme and put them forward to receive an Erhard Busek Grant. The students then apply to the OeAD (from February 2025) to receive this scholarship. The scholarships are awarded after a final review of the formal requirements of the applications received.
The number of scholarship places applied for is binding in the event of an allocation opportunity. The selection committee consisting of the BMFWF and the OeAD reserves the right to reallocate available places.
The information provided by subject area in the expression of interest is binding for nominations. If there are deviations in exceptional cases, a written explanation for the reason for the postponements is requested, in which the criteria for the selection are clearly explained.
Recognition and entry
Higher education institutions will be informed of the results of the expression of interest by the OeAD (February 2025). After they propose the best-qualified students to receive the scholarship on the basis of the quota allocated to them and those students apply to the OeAD, the students and their academic supervisor will be informed by the OeAD by e-mail.