Emerging Fields: highly innovative research projects with revolutionary potential

The University of Vienna is involved in three of five Emerging Fields funded by the FWF. The second funding track of the excellence initiative excellent=austria aims to strengthen excellent basic research in Austria.

Emerging Fields at a glance

Five Emerging Fields will launch cooperative research projects on topics that hold a high innovation potential across 13 locations. The first five consortia launching projects between Vienna and Innsbruck receive funding of 31 million euros in total for the period of the next five years. Academics of the University of Vienna are involved in three of the Emerging Fields projects. Martin Polaschek, Federal Minister of Science, and Christof Gattringer, President of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) presented the projects that will receive funding in Vienna. 

Objective: Measuring space and time anew

„A new Geometry for Einstein’s Theory of Relativity & Beyond“

“Einstein's great insight is that gravity is nothing other than the curvature of space-time. Our Emerging Field is developing a completely new approach to spacetime curvature that promises applications in relativity and quantum gravity,” says Roland Steinbauer, coordinator at the University of Vienna, about the goals of the Emerging Field.

Members of the consortium and research institutions: Roland Steinbauer (coordinator, University of Vienna), Michael Kunzinger (University of Vienna), Raquel Perales (University of Vienna), Chiara Rigoni (University of Vienna), Clemens Sämann (University of Vienna)

FWF funding amount: 7 million euros 

Further information: Press release of 12 March 2024 (in German)

Objective: Designing crisis-resilient and sustainable global supply chains

„REMASS: Resilience and Malleability of Social Metabolism“

Members of the consortium and research institutions: Helmut Haberl (coordinator, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna), Stefan Giljum (Vienna University of Economics and Business), Fridolin Krausmann (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna), Shonali Pachauri (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)), Anke Schaffartzik (Central European University), Cornelia Staritz (University of Vienna), Stefan Thurner (Complexity Science Hub Vienna)

FWF funding amount: 7.1 million euros

Further information: Press release of 12 March 2024 (in German)

Objective: Investigating the origins of complex life

„Crucial steps in evolution: The rise of genome architecture“

Members of the consortium and research institutions: Frédéric Berger (coordinator, GMI – Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology, ÖAW), Christa Schleper (University of Vienna), Florian Schur (Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA))

FWF funding amount: 4.4 million euros

Further information: Press release of 12 March 2024 (in German)