On Monday, June 24th, the funding agency for the “Less is More?” research project – the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (WWTF) – organized a networking workshop among funded projects and relevant stakeholders.
In the heart of Vienna, all projects funded in the WWTF’s “Life Sciences 2022 – Public Health” Call came together with national stakeholders in the areas of public (mental) health, such as the Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG), Fonds Gesundheit Österreich (FGÖ), Wiener Gesundheitsverbund (WIGEV), Caritas, Volkshilfe or AFYA. The goal was to present the status quo in the projects that were successful in the WWTF’s first-ever public health-related funding call, but also to discuss novel opportunities, roadblocks and challenges.
In smaller breakout sessions, the participants also brainstormed about future questions in Austrian Public Health, needs and potential for researchers as well as funders, and the kind of support structures needed to create the best kind of research for the Public Health questions and challenges of the future.
A major takeaway for our project researchers was the potential of working together with funders to create better and more supportive networks – that also reach beyond the university context. In future, this might be a chance to create better, more grounded, and more sustainable research (outcomes).