Franz Werfel, who was born 1890 in Prague and died 1945 in California, is one of the most famous representatives of Austrian Literature. Therefore the Franz Werfel Grant addresses itself to young university teachers whose work focuses on Austrian Literature. The grant programme, which was initiated in 1992, is open to applicants from all over the world. Recipients of Werfel grants can work as visiting researchers at university departments and carry out specialist studies in libraries, archives or at research institutions. This grant does not only offer material support for up to 18 months but through follow-up support also guarantees sustainability.
Follow-up support includes the following measures:
Yearly invitation to a professionally relevant symposium
Yearly endowment for the purchase of specialist literature on the occasion of this symposium
One-month research grant every three years
Habilitation grant
Publication allowance
The aim of follow-up support is to inform grant recipients continuously about the current developments in Austrian literature and thus to support them in their teaching activities at their home universities (on the topic of “Austrian literature”).
“In this respect the Werfel programme goes far beyond a systematic support of individual cases and thus contributes to the development of a network that meets the challenges that the development of the subject poses to us.”
(see Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler, in: Zwischen Sprachen unterwegs, Praesens Verlag publishing house, Vienna, 2006).