Austrian Government Program Promoting Researchers: Universities Between Approval and Criticism

The commitment to increase the research quota to four percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 was received particularly positively. The current ratio is 3.34 percent. Heinz Faßmann, President of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW), welcomed this development and emphasized that central demands of the scientific community had been taken into account.

He also welcomed the continuation of the Future Austria Fund, which is to be endowed with 200 million euros annually instead of the previous 140 million euros. The Austrian Science Fund FWF also sees the government's plans as an opportunity for sustainable and competition-oriented research funding. The clear commitment to the European Research Area and the preparations for the next EU Research Framework Program (2028-2034) are particularly important.

In addition to the continuation of established funding instruments, funding for non-university research institutions should also be secured in the long term. The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) is to receive more funding to provide greater support for application-oriented research and innovation projects. The Austrian Science Fund (FWF) will also receive additional funding for excellent basic research.

The planned strengthening of start-ups through the establishment of an umbrella fund to promote innovation was expressly welcomed by the FORWIT Research Council. Council Chairman Thomas Henzinger emphasized that a cultural change in research funding is necessary in order to enable more autonomy and competition. Young researchers and innovative projects in particular should benefit from increased competition for funding.

Criticism from the universities

While research will benefit from the government's plans, the Universities Conference (uniko) is concerned about some of the plans in the higher education sector. Uniko President Brigitte Hütter warned against the planned closer organizational integration of university colleges of teacher education (PH) and university teacher training courses. She fears an unnecessary duplication of structures and instead calls for the PHs to be integrated into the existing universities. This would make more sense both for reasons of resources and for the academic quality of teacher training.

Another controversial topic is the right to award doctorates to universities of applied sciences (UAS). The universities are strictly opposed to this, as UASs were originally founded with the aim of offering practical training for the labor market. Research excellence, on the other hand, is the core task of universities, argues Hütter.

uniko is particularly critical of the planned “fundamental revision” of admission restrictions at universities by 2026. While the SPÖ, which has appointed Eva-Maria Holzleitner as the new Science Minister, rejects traditional admission procedures, the universities are in favor of retaining and expanding the existing regulations. Hütter emphasized that the legal possibility of issuing admission regulations has proven its worth.

University Strategy 2040 and Societal Challenges

A central point of the government program is the development of a higher education strategy 2040, which aims to define the roles of universities, universities of applied sciences, and universities of teacher education more clearly and avoid duplicate structures. The universities support this plan in principle but warn against uncoordinated reforms that could lead to inefficiencies.

At the same time, social challenges, particularly in the education sector, are becoming increasingly clear. In a letter to the EU Commission, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner warns that the education system is being overburdened by the influx of family members seeking protection from Syria and Afghanistan. According to Karner, capacity limits have been reached in many areas, particularly in the school system. A massive lack of educational prospects could jeopardize the country's economic performance and social stability in the long term.

However, the planned plan to stop family reunification is controversial. Legal experts such as Franz Leidenmühler from the University of Linz consider the use of the EU emergency clause to be problematic, as it should only be used in the event of existential threats to the state. Amnesty International and asylum experts condemn the decision as a clear violation of international human rights standards. In contrast, European law expert Walter Obwexer argues that the “massive loss of quality in schools” could pose a threat to public order.

Ambitious goals, clear benefits for research

The government program sets ambitious goals in science and education policy. While the research community benefits from the planned measures and sees a positive outlook for the future, many questions remain unanswered in the higher education sector.

For researchers, however, the government program means a significant improvement in the financial framework conditions. In addition to increasing the research quota to four percent and topping up the Future Austria Fund, more funding will be made available for application-oriented and basic research. Non-university research institutions will also receive a long-term funding commitment and start-ups are to be supported by new funding structures.

Young scientists in particular are likely to benefit from the changes, as more funds are to flow into competition-based funding programs. At the same time, it remains to be seen how the educational policy challenges and higher education policy reforms will affect the system as a whole. The implementation of the planned measures will show whether the government can successfully master the balancing act between research funding, higher education reform, and social challenges.

FFG

OeAW