Infrastructure

According to the existing practise of third-party funding agencies, such as the Austrian Science Fund and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), research funds can be used for staffing or material expenditure, but only in rare cases for the procurement of scientific equipment. In order to ensure the availability of the equipment required for joint research projects and to provide a good position for the acquisition of third-party funds, the NAWI Graz infrastructure funding and the NAWI Graz Central Labs/ Core Facilities were established as subsidy programmes.
 

• NAWI Graz infrastructure funding (2008-2015): Via the NAWI Graz infrastructure funding programme (2008-2015), single pieces of new equipment and appropriate additions to existing equipment were funded up to 50% of the purchase price. To procure the new equipment, two or more researchers from both universities had to file a joint application. Aspects that were taken into account when approving decisions included, for instance, existing joint publications/research activities and the availability of other infrastructure that is required for the operation of the desired instrument (e.g. vibration-free installation location).
  Between 2008 and 2015, more than 150 joint infrastructure procurements were concluded. 
• NAWI Graz Central Labs/Core Facilities: The objective of the NAWI Graz Central Labs/Core Facilities programme is to acquire cost-intensive scientific instruments for which there is considerable demand.
  Central Labs bundle thematically related equipment at one location. As this equipment is open for use by all NAWI Graz researchers, utilisation of instruments is optimised and measuring periods can be kept short. Core Facilities are single pieces of high-performance equipment, which are urgently needed by several research groups.
  As with infrastructure funding, Central Labs/Core Facilities also can only be funded by up to 50% of the purchase/installation price. Contrary to infrastructure funding, there are no submission deadlines. Proposals can be submitted at any time. As the implementation of the Central Labs/ Core Facilities is complex and requires various aspects to be taken into consideration, there is a multi-tier approval procedure that starts with a proposal from an inter-university group. Once a proposal has been accepted, it will be developed further together with the NAWI Graz Steering Committee.

At present, there are more than 20 existing NAWI Graz Central Labs and Core Facilities.

Further existing Core Facilities in Graz are made visible in the NAWI Graz infrastructure maps.