Evaluation START Programme & Wittgenstein Award

The Evaluation encompasses two different FWF programmes: the START programme and the Wittgenstein Award, from their start in1996 to 2014. Since 1996, 97 Start projects and 30 Wittgenstein awards were funded. START grants are the best-endowed and most prestigious grants available to junior researchers in Austria. The Wittgenstein Award provides both recognition and support to excellent scientists (up to 55 years of age) who have already produced exceptional scientific work and who occupy a prominent place in the international scientific community. Prize winners should be guaranteed the maximum possible level of freedom and flexibility in the performance of their research, thereby facilitating an increase in their scientific/scholarly productivity.

Tabbed contents

Expand all Close all

Evaluation questions

Are the programmes and their goals timely?
Are the design and the management of the programmes appropriate? Are START and Wittgenstein decisions biased?
What are the impacts of the START and Wittgenstein programmes?
Should/could the programmes under discussion be continued, improved or restructured

Objectives

The purpose of the contract to be awarded is:

to perform an impact analysis of two FWF programmes, 'START’ and 'Wittgenstein';
to contribute to the (internal) assessment of FWF's funding portfolio for postdoctoral research;
to provide the FWF with the information it requires in order to decide whether and in what form the programmes under discussion should/could be continued, improved or restructured.

Methods

Survey
interviews
case studies
bibliometrics
moderated workshop

Project team

Duration

11.2014-12.2015

Client

Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung

Partner

KMU Forschung Austria

Project