OESTERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN

Their core work

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (OEAW) is Austria's leading non-university research institution, operating dozens of research institutes spanning quantum physics, digital humanities, cultural heritage, and social sciences. In H2020, they are heavily represented through individual researcher grants (ERC, Marie Curie), reflecting deep bench strength in fundamental research. Their work ranges from quantum simulation and quantum communication to archaeology, Byzantine studies, and computational linguistics — making them a rare institution that bridges hard sciences and humanities at the highest level. They also contribute significantly to European research infrastructures (DARIAH, Europlanet) and large-scale physics collaborations (EUROfusion, antimatter research).

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2014–2018), OEAW's portfolio was anchored in planetary science, space research (Europlanet, cosmochemistry), digital humanities infrastructure (DARIAH), and foundational quantum simulation work. From 2019 onward, the emphasis shifted decisively toward quantum communication, quantum cryptography, and quantum repeaters — signaling a move from basic quantum research toward application-oriented quantum technologies. Simultaneously, artificial intelligence and open science emerged as new threads, while the humanities portfolio matured from infrastructure building toward AI-enhanced research methods.

OEAW is pivoting from fundamental quantum research toward quantum communication technologies and integrating AI across its traditionally strong humanities portfolio — expect them to seek partners at the quantum-application and AI-for-research intersections.

How they like to work

OEAW operates as both a consortium leader and an active partner, with a roughly 40/60 coordinator-to-participant split. Their 33 coordinated projects are predominantly individual researcher grants (ERC Starting, Advanced, Consolidator; Marie Curie fellowships), while their participant roles tend to be in large multi-partner infrastructure and physics consortia. With 783 unique partners across 70 countries, they function as a highly connected hub — ideal for organizations seeking an established, well-networked Austrian anchor in diverse consortia.

OEAW has collaborated with 783 unique partners across 70 countries, making them one of the most broadly networked research organizations in Austria. Their reach is truly global, spanning European physics and humanities networks as well as international collaborations like JENNIFER (Japan-Europe).

What sets them apart

OEAW is exceptionally rare in combining world-class quantum physics with deep expertise in digital humanities and cultural heritage — few organizations can credibly contribute to both a quantum communication consortium and a Byzantine studies project. As Austria's national academy, they carry institutional weight and long-term stability that individual university departments cannot match. Their 87-project H2020 portfolio and EUR 46.6M in funding demonstrate proven capacity to manage complex EU research at scale.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EUROfusion
  Largest single EC contribution at EUR 5.67M — positions OEAW within Europe's flagship fusion energy roadmap.
• Hyksos Enigma
  EUR 1.96M ERC grant coordinated by OEAW, tackling one of archaeology's great mysteries with interdisciplinary methods including bioarchaeology and isotope analysis.
• SPICY
  EUR 1.31M project on simulating 2D spin lattices with ion crystals — exemplifies their core strength at the intersection of trapped-ion physics and quantum simulation.