About this opportunity
Every summer the Young Scientists Summer Program welcomes roughly 50 doctoral researchers to the IIASA campus at Laxenburg, a short trip from Vienna, to work on one focused project with an IIASA mentor. About 70 percent of your time goes into that research, which can lay the groundwork for a thesis chapter or a paper. A training programme of seminars and workshops takes up around 20 percent, and a social programme accounts for the rest, so you also leave with connections across disciplines.
IIASA does not charge a tuition fee, and you never apply for money separately. Eligible applicants are considered automatically for grants offered through IIASA Member Organizations and other sources, including private donations. Those grants generally provide approximately EUR 1,700 per month for three months, plus return travel costs to Vienna, though the exact amount depends on the funding source and no individual grant can be guaranteed. Many participants also arrive with support from a home university or a national scholarship, and self funding remains an option, so plan for about EUR 1,700 a month, or EUR 5,100 in total, to cover accommodation, meals, local transport and health insurance.
Applications come from PhD students around the world, so you can apply from Nigeria or anywhere else in Africa. The main requirement is that your topic connects with ongoing IIASA research and that you can be present full time in person, at least five days a week, for the whole programme period.
The application itself is submitted on the IIASA Onlyfy portal in a single sitting, because the portal does not save partial progress. The research proposal is the most important part, so IIASA suggests you read recent YSSP projects, pick up to two research groups, and share your outline ideas with a group before writing. Free information webinars run on 3 November 2026 at 20:00 CET, 4 November 2026 at 14:00 CET and 10 November 2026 at 10:00 CET.
What you receive
- Three months of mentored research with an IIASA researcher on a project you help shape.
- A training programme of seminars, workshops and talks built for early career researchers.
- A cohort of around 50 doctoral researchers plus a social programme for building lasting connections.
- No tuition fee, and automatic consideration for grants of approximately EUR 1,700 per month for three months plus return travel to Vienna.
- Guidance on the visa process once you are accepted for the programme.
- No English certificate required, since proficiency is checked through a short online interview.
Who can apply
- Be enrolled in a PhD programme, ideally within one to two years of completing your degree.
- Propose research that connects with IIASA research areas.
- Be able to formulate research questions and work independently with guidance from a mentor.
- Be interested in interdisciplinary research and in the wider relevance of your work.
- Have enough English to conduct research, discuss your work and take part fully.
- Be available full time and in person at Laxenburg for the three month programme.
Who should not apply
- Applicants who are not enrolled in a PhD programme are not eligible.
- There is no home office option, so participants who cannot be present in person cannot take part.
- Research topics that do not connect with an IIASA research group cannot be supported.
Documents to prepare
- Personal details, including name, birth date, email, gender, citizenship, country of residence, English proficiency level and whether your research needs laboratory facilities.
- PhD details, including thesis topic, five key words, start date, expected completion date, doctoral institution and country.
- A short account of your Master's degree, your major and thesis title, within 2500 characters.
- First and second choice IIASA research groups, each with an explanation of the choice.
- A YSSP research proposal with a title, an abstract, main research questions and objectives, methods and approach, data status, innovative aspects, and expected results and risks for success, each within 2500 characters.
- Your CV, motivation letter and list of publications combined into one single PDF file.
- Contact details for two referees, each with name, email address, position or title and institution.
- A short statement of which funding options you have explored and how you expect to finance your participation, with no funding commitment required at this stage.
How to apply
- Read the YSSP detailed information and check that your topic is compatible with ongoing IIASA research.
- Review the costs and funding page, then decide whether you will seek a Member Organization grant, external support or self funding.
- Identify which IIASA research group suits your proposal, you may select two, and study recent YSSP projects.
- Contact the relevant research group with your outline ideas and learn about its current work.
- Write the YSSP research proposal, the most important part of the application.
- Open the YSSP 2027 posting on IIASA Onlyfy, complete every section and submit before 10 January 2027 at 23:00 CET.
Selection process
- All information and documents are uploaded in one Onlyfy session, since progress cannot be saved.
- Proposals are read against the IIASA research groups you select and against your stage in your PhD.
- English proficiency is checked in a short online interview rather than through a certificate.
- Eligible applicants are considered for Member Organization grants as part of the same selection process.
- Accepted participants are informed of the visa process needed for Austria.
Sources and verification
Related opportunities
- Warwick Postgraduate Research Scholarships 2027
Up to 80 fully funded doctoral scholarships across six streams for entry in October 2027 at the University of Warwick, open to applicants of any nationality or fee status, with scholarship applications closing 10 December 2026 at 16:59 GMT.
- Durham University PhD Studentships in Transformative Humanities 2027
Durham University is offering up to eleven fully funded PhD studentships for research that works across its Transformative Humanities framework, starting in October 2027. Two of the awards are open to overseas students at overseas tuition level, so applicants writing from Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa can compete. Applications close at noon UK time on 15 January 2027.
Questions applicants ask
Is there a cost to take part?
IIASA does not charge a tuition fee. You should budget approximately EUR 1,700 per month for three months, about EUR 5,100 in total, plus return travel to Vienna, to cover accommodation, meals, local transport, health insurance and other personal expenses.
Do I have to apply for funding separately?
No. Eligible applicants are considered automatically for grants as part of the YSSP selection process. Grants generally provide approximately EUR 1,700 per month for three months plus return travel to Vienna, most of them come from IIASA Member Organizations, and they can depend on nationality, residence or country of study. IIASA says it typically secures funding for the large majority of participants, but funding cannot be guaranteed for an individual applicant.
Do I need funding before I apply?
No. You are asked in the application how you expect to finance your participation and which options you explored, but no funding commitment is needed at that stage. You are encouraged to check with your home university, institution or national scholarship bodies alongside your application.
Can I apply from Nigeria or elsewhere in Africa?
Yes. IIASA welcomes applications from PhD students around the world, and the published criteria are about your PhD stage, your topic and your availability rather than your country.
What is the time commitment?
The programme is full time and in person at IIASA. You are expected to be on site during IIASA working hours, Monday to Thursday from 08:30 to 17:30 and Friday from 08:30 to 15:00, and there is no home office option. Participants may take up to five days leave during the three months.
Do I need an English test certificate?
No certificate is needed. The working language is English, and proficiency is checked through a short online interview.
Can I save the Onlyfy application and finish it later?
No. Onlyfy does not save progress, so all information and documents must be submitted in one session.
When and where does the programme run?
From 1 June to 27 August 2027, in person at IIASA in Laxenburg, a 30 minute public transport trip from Vienna, with a few days either side needed for travel and administration.
Important disclaimer
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