By awarding research scholarships, the Hohe Tauern National Park aims to encourage students and young scientists to design and implement their research projects in close collaboration with the protected area.
Conditions for Participation
We are seeking compelling research projects and innovative ideas that establish a thematic connection to the Hohe Tauern National Park — for example in the field of species conservation or another freely chosen, thematically appropriate focus. Each year, two scholarships of €1,500 are awarded.
>>> In 2026, two additional special scholarships will be available for the thematic areas ‘Sonnblick Observatory’ and ‘Endemics’. <<<
In total, six scholarships of €1,500 each will be awarded.
Applications can be submitted annually from November until the end of January of the following year
Application start: November 15, 2025
Application deadline: January 31, 2026
Requirements for Participation:
- Diploma, Master's, and PhD theses from universities and universities of applied sciences/technical colleges are accepted.
- The topic of the work must have a connection to the Hohe Tauern National Park (animal/plant endemics, species conservation, or another relevant subject) or to the Sonnblick Observatory.
- The research project must be carried out in collaboration with the Hohe Tauern National Park (cross-border or optionally within the regions of Carinthia, Salzburg, or Tyrol) or the Sonnblick Observatory.
- The topic must have been accepted by the respective university or university of applied sciences/technical college (confirmation of topic acceptance required).
- The project may have already started, but it is not a requirement. Completed projects will not be accepted.
- Submissions are only possible if the scientific work or parts of it have not already been supported by another funding provider.
- The research results and data must be made available for the purposes of the protected area management (the scientific publication will, of course, belong to the author(s)).
- The research project must be made publicly accessible once completed (e.g., through a library, the parcs.at data center, the university's website, etc.).
Selection and Awarding of the Scholarships:
The most important and essential criterion for evaluating submissions is the relevance of the work for the management and research of the Hohe Tauern National Park, as well as the applicability of the corresponding results and findings for the national park administrations.
The selection of the scholarship recipients will be made by the end of February each year, and the selected participants will be notified by us.
The scholarship payment will be made after a written agreement.
Further information Exposè Sonnblick Observatory Exposè Endemics
Questions & Contact:
If you have any questions regarding the scholarship or the application process, feel free to contact us via email at forschung@hohetauern.at. We will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.
What has been researched so far?
All previously awarded academic works are are available in the Hohe Tauern National Park Data Center.
