Ernst Mach Grant (OeAD)
The Ernst Mach Grant is Austria's flagship government scholarship for international Master's-level students — administered by OeAD (Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The award pays €1,150/month for up to 9 months, plus a travel allowance and comprehensive health/accident insurance. It supports study (a semester or two of a Master's) or research stays at Austrian public universities, universities of applied sciences (FH), and art universities. Sri Lankan citizens are eligible. Austria is increasingly popular with Sri Lankan applicants in music (Vienna's conservatories), architecture, engineering, and economics — and Vienna consistently ranks #1 globally for quality of life.
OeAD (Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation)
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Monthly Stipend
€1,150/month
Duration
1-9 Months (Semester or Research Stay)
Extras
Travel Allowance + Insurance
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Non-EU/EEA Citizen
Reserved for citizens of non-EU/EEA countries. Sri Lankan passport holders qualify. Applicants must not have lived in Austria for more than 6 months at the time of application.
Master's-Level Applicant
Open to current Master's students or recent Master's graduates from your home country wishing to study or research at an Austrian institution. Some streams accept advanced Bachelor's students in their final year.
Hosting Institution Confirmation
You must arrange supervision/admission with the proposed Austrian host institution before applying — a letter from your Austrian supervisor or department head is required as part of the application package.
Language
Most Ernst Mach-funded study is in English (Austrian Master's programmes are increasingly English-taught). Research stays are typically in English. German is required only for German-taught programmes — check with your host.
account_tree Application Process
Identify host institution + supervisor
Browse the OeAD database at grants.at to find Austrian universities and programmes suitable for your field. Email prospective supervisors or department heads with your CV and research interests to secure a hosting confirmation.
Online application via Grants.at
Apply via the OeAD Grants.at portal when the call opens (typically autumn for the following academic year). Upload: CV, motivation letter, study/research plan, transcripts and degrees, language certificate, supervisor's letter of acceptance, and two academic references.
Selection review
OeAD's academic selection committee reviews applications based on academic merit, quality of the proposed study/research plan, and fit with the Austrian host. Decisions are typically announced 2-3 months after the deadline (May-June for March deadline).
Award + Austrian visa
Successful applicants receive an award letter detailing duration and monthly amount. Apply for the Austrian Residence Permit for Students (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student) at the Austrian Embassy in Colombo. Stipend is paid monthly across the award period.
Why Austria?
Austria offers tuition-free or very-low-cost public university study (around €726/semester for non-EU students), excellent quality of life (Vienna routinely #1 globally), and a 12-month post-study residence permit for non-EU graduates. The country's geographic position makes weekend travel to Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe straightforward.
#1 world
Vienna QoL (Mercer 2024)
€726
Avg Public Uni Tuition / Semester
12 mo
Post-Study Job-Seeker Visa
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