AITHYRA PhD Scholarship Call 2026
AITHYRA is accepting applications for its 2026 PhD call. Candidates with suitable academic backgrounds and relevant research experience may apply through the University of Vienna application portal. The programme begins on September 1, 2027, and selected applicants will complete online interviews followed by an onsite visit in Vienna.
Scholarship Overview
- Designation: PhD Candidate
- Programme: AITHYRA PhD Programme
- Location: Vienna, Austria
- Application period: September 1 to November 1, 2026
- Application deadline: November 1, 2026
- References required: Two mandatory references
- Working language: English
- Programme start: September 1, 2027
Important Dates Table
- Call opens: September 1, 2026
- Applicant and referee deadline: November 1, 2026
- Application outcome notification: By November 20, 2026
- Online panel interviews: November 30–December 1, 2026
- Onsite visit in Vienna: January 27–29, 2027
- Programme begins: September 1, 2027
Research Area
The call welcomes candidates from interdisciplinary scientific and technical fields, including:
- Computer science
- Computational biology
- Bioengineering and engineering
- Physics
- Statistics and mathematics
- Medicine
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Related scientific or technical disciplines
Applicants should review the available research groups and project descriptions before selecting the groups that best match their interests.
Location
The programme is based at AITHYRA in Vienna, Austria. Depending on academic background, successful candidates may be enrolled at the University of Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, or Vienna University of Technology.
Eligibility and Qualifications
Applicants must meet the following general requirements:
- Hold a master’s degree or eligible four-year bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific or technical field.
- Have more than six months of full-time research experience in a relevant area.
- Submit a complete application before the deadline.
- Provide details of two referees using institutional email addresses.
- Ensure that both referees submit their references before November 1, 2026.
- At least one referee should have supervised the applicant in a research project.
- Demonstrate a high level of spoken and written English. An official English certificate is not required.
Requirements for Applicants with a Four-Year Bachelor’s Degree
- The degree should be equivalent to 240 ECTS.
- Applicants should have excellent grades equivalent to first-class honours or upper second-class honours.
- A degree certificate and academic transcripts must be provided when submitting the application.
- Applicants must demonstrate significant research experience.
Scholarship Description
The AITHYRA PhD selection process consists of a written application, online panel interviews, and an onsite visit. Applications are assessed for eligibility and academic quality. Incomplete applications, late applications, or applications without two submitted references may not be considered.
Applicants selected after the online interviews will be invited to AITHYRA in Vienna from January 27 to 29, 2027. The programme will cover travel and accommodation costs for the onsite visit and can provide visa support and an official invitation letter when required.
During the onsite event, candidates will give a short presentation about themselves and their research. They will also participate in one-to-one meetings with faculty members, laboratory tours, panels, and a social dinner. After the visit, candidates may rank up to three Principal Investigators with whom they would consider working.
Application Documents and Information
The online application requests the following information:
- Education: Details of relevant bachelor’s, master’s, diploma, or medical degrees.
- Research experience: Up to four relevant experiences, including theses, internships, or supervised projects lasting at least eight weeks full-time.
- Training and study visits: Up to three significant courses, training activities, or study visits.
- Research outputs: Up to five publications, preprints, conference papers, talks, or posters.
- Research motivation and personal statement: Scientific interests, future development goals, and preferred research groups.
- Academic documents: Relevant degree certificates and transcripts where required.
- References: Two mandatory references submitted before the deadline.
Reference Requirements
Applicants cannot submit the application until both mandatory references have been received. Referees must be registered using official institutional email addresses; personal addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, or GMX are not accepted.
The portal does not automatically email referees. Applicants must personally send each referee the referee portal link and tell them which professional email address was registered. Applicants should follow up to confirm that both references are submitted by November 1, 2026. Referees may also consult the official Referee Guide.
How to Apply
- Review the eligibility criteria, application instructions, available research groups, and frequently asked questions.
- Create a University of Vienna u:account.
- Use the account credentials to access the online application portal.
- Complete all required sections and upload the necessary documents.
- Register two referees with their official institutional email addresses.
- Personally contact both referees and provide the referee portal link.
- Confirm that both references have been submitted before the deadline.
- Submit the completed application by November 1, 2026.
Applications submitted through third-party agencies, recruiters, or agents will be rejected. Applicants should apply directly and should not contact Principal Investigators regarding the call.
Last Date to Apply
November 1, 2026. Both the candidate’s application and the two mandatory references must be submitted by this date.
Apply Link
Apply for the AITHYRA PhD Call 2026
For complete instructions, visit the official application guidelines. Questions not addressed in the published guidance may be sent to phd@aithyra.at.
