Natural Sciences (Physical Sciences) - Postdoc Fellows E-STEEM Call 2026

Universität Wien

Job description:

The University of Vienna is a community of almost 11,000 individuals, including approximately 7,700 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. Fuelled by curiosity and a deep sense of responsibility, they provide invaluable contributions to research and teaching, thus enriching our society. Are you also inspired and driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact?

The University of Vienna is launching multiple Fellowships for female Postdocs to strengthen women’s participation in disciplines where they remain underrepresented, specifically within the fields of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy.

Your personal sphere of influence:

The University of Vienna offers a world-class research environment, lab access, and outstanding research infrastructure across its faculties. The Fellowship programme offers up to 20 full-time 4-year positions with structured career development.Fellows will benefit from Vienna’s vibrant academic ecosystem and access to a structured career-development track (mentoring, grant-writing, supervision, leadership). Successful candidates will select a preferred PI and department/research group and may suggest co-mentors across the University’s rich networkfinal lists will be provided on the call website: https://careers.univie.ac.at/en/postdoc/e-steem.

Your future tasks:

• Conduct highly original and internationally competitive research in one of the designated fields.
• Develop and execute an ambitious Research Plan (as submitted with the application).
• Publish in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.
• Build and maintain international research collaborations.

This is part of your personality:

• Female applicants (inclusive understanding of gender identities within the legal framework and the University’s Equality Plan: https://satzung.univie.ac.at/alle-weiteren-satzungsinhalte/frauenfoerderungs-und-gleichstellungsplan/
• PhD awarded by the application deadline or within the last 4 years (extensions recognized for parental/care duties, illness, or other career breaks).
• A strong research track record commensurate with the career stage.
• The ability to work effectively in a collaborative, international research environment.

What we offer:

• Work-Life-Balance: Our employees enjoy flexible, family-friendly working hours, remote/hybrid and/or part-time work (upon agreement).
• Inspiring working atmosphere: You are part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.
• Good public transport connections: Your workplace in the centre of beautiful Vienna is easily accessible by public transport.
• Fair salary: A basic gross salary of EUR 4.932,90 (on a 40h/week basis) per month, 14 times a year.
• Model 2: The employment duration is 4 years. Initially limited to 1.5 years, the employment relationship is automatically extended to 4 years if the employer does not terminate it within the first 12 months by submitting a non-extension declaration.
• Internal further training & coaching: Opportunity to deepen your skills on an ongoing basis. There are over 600 courses to choose from – free of charge.
• Equal opportunities for all: We welcome every personality to the team!

It is that easy to apply (in English):

Please submit the following documents with your application through our job portal (“Apply now” button) at https://careers.univie.ac.at/en/postdoc/e-steem

• Research plan (max. 3 pages) including objectives and motivations, methods, positioning, and infrastructure needs.
• Full academic CV with publication list
• Preferred PI and department/research group selected from the published list, with a brief fit statement (no prior commitment required; matching takes place during the recruitment process)
• Optional: statement on career breaks or circumstances affecting productivity.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Charlotte Birnbaum-Nyberg

esteem@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We place particular emphasis on enhancing women’s representation among the academic and general university staff, particularly in leadership roles, and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

Application deadline: 03/02/2026

Apply now