WU Foundation Research Award for Business

Objective

The WU Foundation Research Award for Business honors exceptional researchers whose work meaningfully advances our understanding and practice of business in the broadest sense. It recognizes scholars who have developed innovative frameworks, challenged established paradigms, and generated actionable insights that responsibly shape both theory and practice. 

The award celebrates scholarship that combines academic rigor with real-world relevance and responsibility. By focusing on mid-career researchers, it rewards proven excellence while encouraging continued, impactful contributions to the field. The award supports independent research by renowned talents and invites them to WU. As a flagship initiative of the WU Foundation, the award is closely aligned with WU’s Strategy Compass and strengthens the university’s international standing as a responsible university and as a hub for excellent, independent research in business, economics, and business law. 

Target group

Mid-career researchers from outside WU who are between five and fifteen years post-PhD. Provided a topical fit, nominations from all academic disciplines are welcome.  

Candidates are evaluated based on their most impactful academic work, taking into account the breadth, quality, and impact of their research contributions. 

Prize

The award is endowed with EUR 30,000.

Conditions

Upon acceptance of the award, the recipient agrees to engage with WU’s scholarly community on at least three occasions:

• Receipt of the award is contingent upon in-person participation in the WU Foundation event on June 28, 2027, taking place in Vienna, Austria. 

• Recipients commit to contributing to a scholarly activity (e.g., a research seminar, master class, or public lecture) identified in consultation with the WU organizational unit most closely associated with their scientific field. 

• The award recipient is expected to serve as a member of the jury for the subsequent award cycle. 

Nomination criteria

• Eligible candidates must be nominated by a researcher holding a PhD and affiliated with a higher education institution.  

• Self-nominations are not permitted. 

• Each nominator may submit only one nomination. Re-nominations in future award cycles are possible. 

• Nominees must be between 5 and 15 years post-PhD, calculated as of the application deadline and adjusted for eligible career interruptions.  

• Candidates must not currently be employed by WU and must not have been affiliated with WU during the previous 10 years. 

• Nominations must be submitted in English and include information on both the nominee and nominator, links to three key publications (including one published within the last three years), and a brief written outline of the nominee’s academic and practical impact. 

Nomination procedure

Nominations can be submitted here during the call period.

Funding body

WU Foundation

Submission period

November 16, 2026–January 10, 2027

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Tragbar at researchaward@wu.ac.at.

Responsible university

As a responsible university, our mission extends beyond research and teaching: We are actively committed to making knowledge accessible, promoting social debate, and initiating concrete change.