Study on Tenure Track Professorships and New Hiring Procedures in Austria

The key findings and recommendations of Reichert Consulting’s Evaluation Study of Tenure Track Professorships and New Hiring Procedures in Austria (Neue Wege zur Professur in Österreich. Chancen der institutionellen Steuerung und individuellen Laufbahnentwicklung mit den neuen Berufungs- und Auswahlverfahren nach §99 Abs.4 und Abs.5 Universitätsgesetz.) were presented and discussed on 7 March 2023 at a Conference with University Leadership of Austria’s 22 universities.

Commissioned by the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research, Reichert evaluated the new professorial hiring procedures and career tracks that have been introduced in Austria in 2016 with the aim of improving access to and international competitiveness of professorial positions. The legislative innovation proved to be an asset for strategic steering by the universities, improving access to international talent at an earlier career stage and the proportion of female professors. While the portfolio of professorial positions is now widely seen to offer a flexible set of different professorships, some further attention to staff development and onboarding are among the recommendations for improvements.