A total of 11 US scientists will arrive at the University of Vienna in early 2026. Five postdocs will be funded directly by the University of Vienna, while six will come to the University of Vienna through the APART-USA scholarship programme of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW). The young scientists come from some of the most renowned universities in the US, such as Harvard and Stanford, and conduct research in a wide range of disciplines: from materials physics and chemistry to anthropology, art history and communication science.
By funding five postdocs from the USA, the University of Vienna is sending a strong signal for scientific excellence and the promotion of young talent. In addition to the six APART-USA positions (also postdocs) funded by the ÖAW, the university is investing its own funds in international research talent, thereby strengthening the domestic science location. The five young scientists impressed with the exceptional quality of their applications and will provide innovative research impetus at the University of Vienna in the future.
The APART-USA scholarship programme of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) offers excellent US scientists an attractive opportunity to continue their work at Austrian universities and non-university research institutions after completing their doctorates. With APART-USA, the ÖAW responded to changes in the US research landscape under the Trump administration, which have led to considerable uncertainty in the United States and internationally. A total of 25 researchers are moving to Austria through APART-USA, six of whom are coming to the University of Vienna.
These 11 researchers are coming to the University of Vienna
- Ravinder Binning, Art history, APART-USA funded
- from Colgate University
- to the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies
- Audrey Lin, Anthropology, APART USA funded
- from the American Museum of Natural History, NY
- to the Faculty of Life Sciences
- Chloe Mayoux, History, Uni Vienna funded
- from the Harvard Kennedy School
- to the Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies
- Bianka Mecaj, Physicy, Uni Vienna funded
- from Los Alamos National Laboratory
- to the Faculty of Physics
- Matt Minich, Communication science, APART USA funded
- from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Division of Research and Evaluation/Office of Health Communication and Education at the FDA
- to the Faculty of Social Sciences
- Jigyasa Nigam, Materials physicis, APART USA funded
- from MIT and Harvard
- to the Faculty of Physics
- Maryann Piel, German studies, Uni Vienna funded
- from the College of Charleston
- to the Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies
- Mihai Popescu, Chemistry, APART USA funded
- from Colorado State University
- tothe Faculty of Chemistry
- Hamish Prince, climate research, Uni Vienna funded
- from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- to the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astrophysics
- Michael Sachs, Chemistry, Uni Vienna funded
- from Stanford University
- to the Faculty of Chemistry
- Andrea Urru, Physics, APART USA funded
- from Rutgers University
- to the Faculty of Physics from Rutgers University