THE MARSHALL PLAN SCHOLARSHIPS
Program Overview
The Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation funds an exchange program supporting research stays between Austria and the U.S., mainly for students of technical, natural or economic fields.
Since 2008, it has offered more than 1,300 scholarships to Austrian and American students, providing €4,000–€10,000 for research visits of at least three months.
After their stay participants will be asked to hand in a research paper and documentary report of their research work.
The program aims to expand academic exchange and strengthen mutual understanding between both countries.
Upcoming Calls:
Application: March 2, 2026 to April 30, 2026
Earliest start of study at the host university: August 3, 2026
Application: September 1, 2026 to October 30, 2026
Earliest start of study at the host university: January 1, 2027
Who can apply?
Students who are:
enrolled in any U.S. university or an Austrian partner university
studying a technical, natural or economic field
have an outstanding record of achievement in their field of study
Please note that the international offices at the home universities may have limitations on the eligible fields of study, levels of degrees, or additional requierements.
What does the scholarship provide?
The Marshall Plan Foundation contributes funds based on the duration of the research stay in two installments.
Additional funds can be granted based on the level of degree:
Stays of 3 months (90 days): €4,000
Stays of 4 months (120 days): €5,000
Stays of 5 months (150 days) or longer : €6,000
Stays of 6.5 months (195 days) or longer: Bonus of €1,500
Students in master programs: Bonus of €1,500
Students in Ph.D. programs: Bonus of €2,500
Only the research stay is valid, not the travel period.
Which application documents are requiered?
Applicants will need to provide:
Letter of motivation (2 pages max.)
Research project description (1,500 words minimum, 2,500 words maximum) consiting of:
Title of research project (research fields/topics are chosen freely by the applicants)
Supervisor at home university, supervisor at host university
Short description of research agenda
General goals
Detailed description of research problem
Methodological considerations
Workflow
Relevance and expected results
Curriculum Vitae (in tabular format)
Letters of recommendation (optional)
List of publications (optional)
List of lectures (optional)
All application documents must be sent to the international offices at your home university.
Please consult them for internal deadlines and further information.
What are the requirements for the research paper?
The final research paper must consist of 7,500 words minimum, excluding title page, table of contents and reference and will be made available to the public via the Foundation's website.
Changes between the proposed paper and the final paper must be reported to the international office at your home university.
Additionally it is requiered to provide a field report (2 pages maximum) consisting of:
General impression of your research stay abroad
Quality of the host institution
Contacts within the host institution, inclusion in the organization
Recommendations for future Marshall Plan students and fellows
How does the application process work?
The international offices at your home university is providing information on the eligibility of your field of study and level of degree.
Additionally, supervision from a faculty member at both the host and home university is required.
To establish contact with faculty members of the host university, it is advisable to seek assistance from the International Office.
So far our fellows have visited these U.S. universities, but applications are possible to any U.S. university where supervision can be secured.
Once these requirements are fulfilled, the complete application documents have to be sent to the International Office of your home university.
Proposals are then submitted by partner universities within specified deadlines and are evaluated by experts against a series of predetermined criteria.
Additional Information
Any modification of contracually agreed points (e.g. changes of dates, duration of your stay or perhaps changes of topics) shall be reported to the international office at your university immediately (cc to: office@marshallplan.at) for decision-making with the Foundation.
The final installment or any bonus can be withheld under these circumstances:
Shortening of the agreed duration of your stay (tolerance: - 3 days)
Reduced coverage of the agreed written documentation, especially with regard to an optional bonus. A minimum stay of 90 days is mandatory. Only the research stay is valid, not the travel period.
An extended stay does not lead to any increase in payment.
Applications for confidentiality declarations must also be submitted directly to the international office (maximum period: 2 years).
We wish you a successful completion of your research project.
Contacts
Any more questions?
We are happy to help:
Contact us or visit our LinkedIn
Or reach out to the International Offices of our Austrian Partner Universities directly.