In 2021, the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) launched its Clusters of Excellence (CoE) programme as the first stage in the excellent=austria initiative. The plan was to fund about four clusters – consisting of three to eight collaborating organisations
each – selected based on a 2-stage international peer review process. The clusters’ annual budgets can be €2 to 7 million, of which the FWF funds 60% and the research institutions hosting the clusters the remaining 40%. FWF provides funding for five years, with the possibility of an additional five years.
This report presents the results of an accompanying evaluation of the selection procedures for the first call for Clusters of Excellence, and recommendations for developing the procedures for the second call. It is based on analyses of application and review data, surveys to applicants and expert reviewers, interviews with host institutions, members of the international jury assessing the proposals, the FWF board and other stakeholders, as well as observation of jury meetings.
A statement by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) on this evaluation can be found at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.836328
