Self-evaluation Report to International Review Panel WWTF Office IMPACT EVALUATION 2013/14 Imprint Wiener Wissenschafts-, Forschungs- und Technologiefonds WWTF Vienna Science and Technology Fund Schlickgasse 3/12, 1090 Wien/Vienna, Austria T: +43 (0) 1 402 31 43 @ [email protected] http://www.wwtf.at Authors: Michael Stampfer, Michael Strassnig © WWTF 2014, Layout: WWTF TABLE OF CONTENT I. Purpose and Context of the Self- 7 2. Recommendations of the 2008 Review 31 evaluation Report Panel and Their Implementation II. WWTF - Organisational 9 V. Self-assessment of Impacts 37 Information 1. Impacts on “People” 37 1. Mission, Strategies, Aims, Norms and 9 2. Impacts on “Organisations” 39 Values 3. Impacts on “Communities” 39 2. WWTF‘s Organisational Structure 10 4. Impacts on “Environments” 40 3. Financial Structure of WWTF 11 5. Impacts on “Topics” 41 4. WWTF‘s Funding Activities 12 6. Impacts on “Research” 41 5. WWTF‘s System of Quality Assurance 19 7. Strengths and Weaknesses / 44 6. Supplementry Activities of WWTF 21 Opportunities and Threats III. WWTF in Context 25 VI. References 45 1. The Austrian and the Viennese 25 47 Research and Innovation Landscape VII. Appendices 1. List of Members of WWTF boards / 47 2. WWTF in the Austrian and Regional 28 Office Funding Landscape: Niche Player 2. WWTF Funded Persons and National / 49 3. Addendum 29 International Awards IV. The Evaluation of WWTF in 2008 31 3. WWTF Juries 50 and its Follow Up 1. Aim and Content of the 2008 31 Evaluation LIST OF FREQUENTLY USED ABBREVIATIONS AAS Austrian Academy of Sciences WWTF Programmes Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften AIT AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH CI SciENCE for Creative Industries BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life CS Cognitive Sciences Sciences, Vienna ICT Information and Communication Technology Universität für Bodenkultur Wien LS Life Sciences CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the MA Mathematics and … Austrian Academy of Sciences Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the SC Science Chairs Austrian Academy of Sciences SSH Social Sciences and Humanities in Vienna ERC European Research Council VRG Vienna Research Groups for Young FWF Austrian Science Fund Investigators Fonds zur Förderung wissenschaftlicher Forschung GMI Gregor Mendel Institute of Molecular Plant Biology IMBA Institute of Molecular Biotechnology Institut für Molekulare Biotechnologie IMP Research Institute of Molecular Pathology MFPL Max F. Perutz Laboratories PI Principal Investigator UWien University of Vienna Universität Wien VetMed University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien VUT Vienna University of Technology Technische Universität Wien WPI Wolfgang Pauli Institute Wolfgang Pauli Institut WWTF Vienna Science and Technology Fund Wiener Wissenschafts-, Forschungs- und Technologiefonds PURPOSE AND CONTEXT OF THE SELF-EVALUATION I. REPORT This document is part of the 2013 impact evaluation of This document has to be read within the context of WWTF by an international Review Panel. It has been pre- further materials of the 2013 impact evaluation, in par- pared by WWTF office. It is directed to the Review Panel ticular the case study by Dr. Grit Laudel (Technical Uni- in order to inform the panel about WWTF on its own versity Berlin, Institute of Sociology) on selected im- account and contains mainly facts about us and our fun- pacts of WWTF. As Dr. Laudel’s study arrived before this ding, but also some estimations how we see our work. report has been finished, a few references to the case The 2013 impact evaluation is the first of its kind since study could already be built in this report. Further data WWTF was founded in 2003. WWTF has been subject of WWTF will be provided to the panel; specifically the to an organisation-wide evaluation in 2008. The purpose interviews which the members of the Review Panel will of this past evaluation was to assess WWTF’s setup and conduct during the meeting on December 2-3, 2013. procedures in how far these help to achieve its aims and This document seeks to provide concise information its mission (see WWTF 2008 for the conclusions of the on WWTF as an organisation and its activities; the con- Review Panel). The framework for this 2013 self-evalu- text of the Austrian and Viennese research landscape; ation report is being stated in the Terms of References as a part of this report, it includes a self-assessment of (2013) for the Review Panel. The main goal for the cur- WWTF about its impacts and an analysis of its strength rent exercise is to assess the impacts WWTF has made and weaknesses. on particular aspects of the Viennese research and inno- vation context. 7 WWTF - ORGANISATIONAL II. INFORMATION Research policy in Austria is heavily directed towards in- 1. Mission, strategies, dustrial needs, be it direct subsidies or incentives for sci- ence-industry collaboration. Scientific research, howe- aims, norms and values ver, lacks sufficient funding. This is one main reason why WWTF concentrates on supporting top class research Strengthening Vienna’s research excellence in universities and research organisations, serving com- is WWTF’s mission since its beginnings. Our munities that have shown impressive qualitative growth basic values are: Keeping the focus on a few over the last decades. Through this form of funding we things which are good and relevant for and help to lay foundations for top graduates and excellent in Vienna, strong alignment to international academic cooperation partners for industry. standards of quality and being persistent and patient in aiming at these goals. As this report further on and in detail describes which fields WWTF is supporting, the following points shall give an idea about some underlying aims, norms and Wir stärken Exzellenz am Forschungsstandort Wien (Freely translated: “We strengthen excellent research values: and we strengthen Vienna as a research location.”) • Few people and groups get quite large amounts of The main mission of the Vienna Science and Technology money: We believe in concentrating our (scarce) Fund has not changed since work started more than ten funds in a few areas and on larger grants. years ago. When we started in 2002, the first funding ac- • The playing field for research is global, so the bench- tivities where preceded by a thorough analysis; and the marks and the review / selection procedures are glo- Board of Directors decided to embark a clear strategy. bal as well: Our peer review processes and juries are WWTF received the mission to strengthen Vienna as a both purely international. location of excellent research through funding projects • Needs of industry and society are served well with and persons. strong and top-class research as a foundation: We be- lieve that strong research cores attract talent as well WWTF funds larger project grants, tenure track positions as entrepreneurial interest. and professorships (the latter two for incoming people), • We aim at thinking outside of boxes and thus we and we concentrate on identified strengths of the Vien- have a strong commitment to research that seeks to na research landscape. We believe in further building on transgress boundaries be they institutionally or disci- already strong fields. This should help Vienna to become plinary. Hence, we seek to promote interdisciplinary an even stronger research location. We use competitive research through our calls and stimulate collaboration instruments and international review and jury procedu- and networking between Viennese researchers and res. Wherever possible we try to support – through our their institutions. instruments – beneficial organisational efforts and chan- • WWTF shall be a safe ground for researchers when ges in the Vienna research landscape. The 2008 evalua- entering so far uncharted territories. This means that tion has reassured us on this path. high risk ventures in research are welcomed and po- 9 1 According to the Vienna Act for Foundations and Funds. Legally, WWTF belongs to itself. tential failures are condition of the possibility for high gain and breakthroughs. 2. WWTF’s organisational • The design of calls, grants and administrative rela- tions has to be lightweight and customer-friendly: structure We have to learn constantly and we have open ears for developments and needs of researchers and their WWTF is an independent fund and has two home institutions. The rules of our organisation shall boards: The Board of Directors as final deci- follow the researchers’ needs. sion making body of WWTF and the Advisory • Open ears does not mean “no strategy”, nor does it Board which provides advice to the Board of mean short-termism: We show perseverance and sus- Directors. WWTF office is responsible for the tainability when we fund areas and fields. However, day-to-day management. the core set of rules and values and its impetus to- wards quality and excellence is not negotiable. WWTF is a private, non for profit fund.1 Hence, WWTF is • We strongly aim for a long-term perspective in all the not an agency of the Municipal administration and thus activities we do. This means to put great emphasis on independent in its actions. WWTF was founded in 2001 the development of careers of researchers, in particu- by two individuals and a banking foundation, the “Stif- lar of early stage scientists. tung zur Verwaltung von Anteilsrechten”. The latter has • We try to couple rigour in funding procedures with stipulated to donate 2/3 of its annual profits to WWTF analytical tools to understand our field. We aim to be (see below). The annual transfer from the foundation partners for researchers and their institutions but we forms the main source of income of WWTF. do not refrain from challenging the one or another long-rehearsed custom to elicit increased quality of WWTF has two boards: (1) The Board of Directors (“Vor- research. stand”) composed of six members: two persons who • Finally we are aware of the small size of our funding founded WWTF (and their successors, respectively); and employ a niche strategy.