FAQ Scholarship Programme

Europe alone cannot tackle the many crises it is confronted with or capitalise on the opportunities it is presented with. The dialogue with other regions is indispensable in order to foster mutual economic development, address shared challenges such as the climate crisis and inequality, and promote global stability and peace. If you want to foster global collaboration and come from a country of the Global South, this programme is for you.

As for "Global South", we refer to the definition of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and its classification: “The developing economies broadly comprise Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia without Israel, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, and Oceania without Australia and New Zealand."

Individuals from diverse non-academic backgrounds bring a wealth of perspectives, practical expertise, and innovative approaches to the European Forum Alpbach, enriching creative endeavors and tackling intricate challenges in ways traditional education may not encompass. If you bring a unique perspective, whether from community activism, non-profit work, your apprenticeship or other fields shaping the societal and business landscape, we encourage you to highlight that in your application for the program focused on Talents with a Non-academic Background.

The European Forum Alpbach application platform will open in March 2024.

If you apply for a scholarship via EFA, please apply via our online application platform (link will be shared in due time). Please read the requirements carefully in order to make sure to submit a complete application. Incomplete applications or applications that reach us via e-mail will not be accepted. Late submission of missing documents will also not be considered. If you apply via a FAN Club, please visit their website to inquire about their application procedure.

Please note there is a special application procedure for nationals of ROC Taiwan or permanent residents in Taiwan: Please apply via the Lung Yintai Cultural Foundation (https://www.civictaipei.org/in...).

Scholarships for the European Forum Alpbach 2024 cover your participation fee and your accommodation in Alpbach. Additionally, EFA scholarship holders receive a daily allowance of approximately € 25 per day. Some Clubs within the Forum Alpbach Network offer a reimbursement of travel costs and/or daily allowances (please refer to their respective websites.)

No. Scholarships for the European Forum Alpbach 2024 are only available for first-time scholarship holders. This means that you haven't been granted an onsite scholarship before. If you have already attended the European Forum Alpbach onsite as a scholarship holder and wish to return, you may apply for a seminar assistant position. The call for applications will be shared in March on https://www.alpbach.org.

Another option to return to the European Forum Alpbach is by being involved with a FAN Club, becoming an Alpbach Ambassador, or applying for the Alpbach in Motion programme if you are over 30 and in a management position.

Yes. If you have attended the European Forum Alpbach 2020 or 2021 as an e-scholar, you may apply for a scholarship for the European Forum Alpbach 2024, provided you fulfill the general requirements.

Travel costs to and from Alpbach have to be covered by you, as well as health care and travel insurance. Onsite, EFA scholarship holders will receive a daily allowance of € 25 per day.

You need to provide confirmation on your B2 English Level. We accept the following documents:

• A language certificate (e.g., TOEFL with a min. score of 72, IELTS with a min. score of 5.5, Cambridge English Scale Score min. 160, MUET with a min. score of 4).  
• Proof that you studied or are studying in an English-speaking country 
• Proof that your degree is taught entirely in English  
• If you are a native speaker, you can upload a copy of your passport. You are considered a native speaker if you come from one of the following majority English-speaking countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States of America.  
• A confirmation by the your school, employer, or a university professor, explicitly stating that you have reached B2 or an equivalent to B2. 

You also need to upload your latest diploma or transcript of records or proof of employment. If your transcript or certificate is in a language other than German or English, you need to submit a translation. This translation does not need to be certified.

You will be asked to fill out CV details and indicate your motivation to attend EFA. If you apply via one of the FAN Clubs, please refer to their respective websites.

Yes, scholarships are open to all applicants born after 30.08.1993. If you are a citizen of the Global South (see definition above with "who can apply"), the age limit of 35 limit applies, i.e. scholarships are open to applicants born after 30.08.1988.

Yes, scholarships are open to all applicants born before 17.08.2006.

Yes, we welcome applications of non-graduates and strive to increase the percentage of non-academic scholarship holders at EFA. Feel free to indicate the latter in your application by selecting the programme for talents with a non-academic background.

If you do not have any regional affiliation to one of the Austrian FAN Clubs, for instance because you have never lived in Austria, you may apply via EFA. Please note that the EFA offers only a limited number of scholarships to Austrian citizens.

Yes, you may submit more than one application. If you apply via EFA and via one of the FAN Clubs, please indicate this in our online form.

You will need to apply via the Lung Ying-tai Cultural Foundation. Please check their website for updates about the call for applications: https://civictaipei.org/

The European Forum Alpbach is committed to diversity and inclusion with the goal of providing an accessible and welcoming environment for scholarship holders with disabilities. If you have any questions about accessibility of the Forum, please contact scholarships@alpbach.org. We will provide you with all necessary information about attending the Forum as a person with disabilities. All your information will remain confidential. If you think that we should consider the fact that you have a disability in the assessment of your application, you may indicate this in your motivational statement.

No. You can only apply through the online application platform.

No. The application is free of charge.

No, a letter of recommendation is not required.

Join our webinars! We offer one webinar on 28 February, 4-5 pm (GMT), and one on 4 March (time tbd). Sign up to our scholarship newsletter to stay up to date. (link: https://www.alpbach.org/newsle...) You may also send us your questions via e-mail to scholarships@alpbach.org.

Applications that do not fulfil the minimum criteria and contain a letter of motivation generated by Artificial Intelligence will be removed from the selection process and disqualified in advance.

If you apply via EFA, the selection process starts with a check of formal criteria. Applications fulfilling the formal criteria will be passed on to the next round where they are anonymised and subsequently reviewed and rated by at least two members of our selection committee. Our selection committee consists of engaged members of our community who work in various fields of society, e.g. academia, think tanks, business, etc. Many of them are alumni and/or former participants of the Forum. The average of the two jury ratings defines the ranking of all candidates. Based on these rankings, the European Forum Alpbach finalises the selection of candidates, taking into consideration a balanced mix of disciplines and backgrounds. FAN Clubs and initiative groups have their own selection process and criteria. Please visit their website for further information.

Applicants will be notified by mid-June 2024 at the latest.

Yes. Your scholarship will be final only after your final confirmation. You need to accept or decline your scholarship within seven days after receiving our acceptance e-mail.

Once you are selected for a scholarship at EFA24, you will receive a scholarship offer along with the terms and conditions.

Scholarships for the European Forum Alpbach are made possible through sponsorship, grants and donations. The list of our sponsors will be published on our website with the programme launch.

The EFA has reserved rooms for all scholarship holders in Alpbach and surrounding villages for the entire EFA event. If you are selected as a scholarship holder, we will take care of the booking. Note that most accommodations have shared rooms (two to six people in a room, including double beds to share). We kindly ask you to communicate any special requirements to us immediately after your confirmation in our registration form. If this information is passed on later, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate you accordingly.

Nationals of EU member states, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland do not require a visa for entering the Republic of Austria. All other nationals require a visa in order to enter the Schengen Area or the Austrian territory. As a general rule, the passport must be valid at least three months beyond the planned date of departure from the Schengen area. Please check the visa requirements for your country here: Visa – BMEIA - Außenministerium Österreich

Yes, you are responsible for contracting health care and travel insurance for the period of your stay in Alpbach with two additional days for travelling between your hometown and Alpbach.

All participants of the EFA (including partners, scholarship holders, staff) agree to the EFA Code of Conduct. Professional and appropriate behaviour is expected of everyone at all times and places during the EFA. During the EFA, an ombudsperson (with no affiliation to EFA) is present and available to mediate in case of violation or conflict. You can reach the ombudsperson during the event via e-mail. More information here: Code of Conduct: https://www.alpbach.org/code-o...

Coming to Alpbach by public transport is easy. There are bus services from the train stations Wörgl, Jenbach and Brixlegg to Alpbach. The closest airports to Alpbach are Munich and Innsbruck airport. From there, you can easily take a train to one of the above-mentioned stations. Please visit the Austrian National Railway Service to find your connection: https://www.oebb.at/en/. Note that all relevant information about public transport will be updated shortly briefly before the start of the European Forum Alpbach.

Alpbach has many restaurants and places to eat. In most hotels and restaurants, you will find reasonably priced lunch menus. You will get detailed information on this in Alpbach. There is a big SPAR supermarket on the left-hand side of the main street as you enter the village where you can buy products of daily necessity. In most cases, your accommodation includes breakfast (if not, your accommodation will have a kitchen at your disposal).

All scholarship holders will attend a scientific and an artistic/practical seminar of their choice. Further information on the seminars at EFA24 will be shared with selected applicants in due time.

Alpbach is a mountain village where the weather changes fast - even in the summer. Do not forget to bring warm clothes, weatherproof footwear and rain jackets with you! Please bear in mind that the roads in Alpbach are steep, so flat-heeled shoes are advisable. The dress code ranges from casual to smart casual. If you are unsure about how to dress, have a look at the photos of the previous EFA on https://www.alpbach.org/blog/e....

If you consider participating in hikes, please bring warm clothes and appropriate shoes (trekking shoes or at least adequate sneakers). Participation is at your own risk. As the European Forum Alpbach is a Green Meeting, we strongly encourage you to bring your own refillable water bottle. You will need it in particular during the Alpbach Seminars.

For the Alpbach Seminars, please bring your own laptop.

Make sure to bring enough money for the first week in Alpbach! Daily allowances will only be paid out after a few days. Please make sure to have enough cash (or a debit card that allows you to withdraw cash in Austria) on you to be able to pay for any expenses you might encounter on the first week.

Please note that people with an account within the SEPA area will be transferred the money.

The scholarship programme lasts from 17 to 30 August 2024. Scholarship holders are required to attend the entire EFA event. In exceptional and justified cases (e.g. professional or academic obligations), you may stay for a shorter period of time. To receive a participation certificate, you nonetheless need to stay at least 11 days that is including the Seminar Days and the Europe in the World Days. If you've been selected as a scholarship holder and know that you won't be able to participate in the entire EFA event please inform us as soon as possible. No exceptions will be made for applicants who would only be able to stay less than 11 days including the Seminar Days and the Europe in the World Days.

Yes - your feedback matters! We want to make the European Forum Alpbach better every year and to adjust it to your needs and requirements. This is why we would like to hear your feedback in a short report of ~1 page.

Moreover, our scholarship programme would not be possible without the generous support of organisations and private persons. By providing sufficient funds, they make your participation in the European Forum Alpbach possible. In order to convey your experiences and impressions to our sponsors and to attest the importance of their financial contribution, your feedback reports are crucial for us.

There are plenty of ways to stay connected after the European Forum Alpbach. The Forum Alpbach Network and the Africa Alpbach Network, the two alumni organisations of the European Forum Alpbach, organise activities during the year and will bring you closer together. Find a Club or an Initiative Group in your region, or become an Ambassador! More information on https://www.alpbach.org/about/...