IIASA Announces Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP)
Call Information
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) has announced its annual call for the Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP). Under this call, 50 PhD students from around the world can conduct research related to their doctoral thesis for three months (from June to August). During this period, researchers will benefit from the expertise of leading IIASA scholars and will also have access to IIASA’s unique systems and software tools. Since the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) is a member of IIASA, eligible Iranians may also benefit from this call.
IIASA is a leading institute in systems analysis that conducts policy-oriented research seeking to address challenges that are beyond the capacity of a single country or academic field. These challenges include climate change, biodiversity, security, energy, and sustainable development, which must be addressed through international collaboration.
This program is designed for PhD students working on a topic that is aligned with current research at IIASA. Participants will work under the direct supervision of an experienced IIASA scientist in a unique interdisciplinary and international research environment. As a first step, they will prepare a paper and will have the opportunity to build connections for future collaborations within the Institute’s global network.
Applicants can collaborate with a maximum of two programs at IIASA. Applicants are advised to read the entire program description carefully before making a decision and developing a proposal. Full information on the details of this call is available on the IIASA portal via the following link:
https://iiasa.ac.at/capacity-development/application-information
IIASA does not have a laboratory; therefore, it is not suitable for those seeking to conduct laboratory-based research. Furthermore, if an applicant’s research requires empirical data, all data must have been collected by the start of the YSSP.
Priority Areas
The hosting programs for the IIASA YSSP and their associated research groups are as follows:
Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA): YSSP Opportunities in ASA
- Cooperation and Transformative Governance CAT,
- Systemic Risk Resilience SYRR
- Exploratory Modeling of Human-natural Systems EM
- Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability NODES
- Contact point for all groups: Piotr Zebrowski
Biodiversity and Natural Resources (BNR):
- Agriculture, Forestry and Ecosystem Services AFE, Contact: Florian Kraxner
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation BEC, Contact: Martin Jung
- Integrated Biosphere Futures IBF, Contact: Marta Kozicka
- Water Security WAT, Contact: Sylvia Tramberend
Economic Frontiers (EF): YSSP opportunities in EF
- Economics of Equal Life Chances EELC
- Economics of Disruptive Change EDC
- Contact point for all groups: Michael Freiberger and Cynthia Festin
Energy, Climate and Environment (ECE): YSSP opportunities in ECE
- Integrated Assessment and Climate Change IACC
- Integrated Climate Impacts ICI
- Pollution Management PM
- Sustainable Service Systems S3
- Transformative Institutional Social Solutions TISS
- Contact point for all groups: Jun Ukita Shepard
Population and Just Societies (POPJUS): YSSP opportunities in POPJUS
- Equity and Justice EQU
- Health, Ageing and Health Systems H2A
- Migration and Sustainable Development MIG
- Multidimensional Demographic Modeling MDM
- Contact point for EQU: Elliott Woodhouse
- Contact for other groups: Guillaume Marois
Eligibility
This program is designed for PhD students working on a topic that is aligned with the IIASA interdisciplinary research agenda.
(For the terms and conditions of PhD thesis funding at INSF, please refer to the Guideline for PhD Thesis Funding.)
Attachments
Call Timeline
The application deadline is Monday, January 12, 2026 (midnight, Austrian time).
This deadline will not be extended.
Funding
Travel and accommodation expenses for students whose proposals are approved by both INSF and IIASA will be covered by the Iran National Science Foundation in accordance with INSF regulations.
Application and Proposal Submission Process
At INSF, applications must be submitted through the INSF Research Management System (RTMS). Those who do not already have a personal profile in the system must first register and then log in using their email (username) and the assigned password. After logging in, proposals can be submitted through the “Submit New Project” section under the YSSP – Young Scientists Summer Program task panel.
Applicants who wish to receive INSF support in this program must submit the final proposal—after submitting it to IIASA—via the INSF Research Management System (RTMS). Proposals submitted to only one of the two organizations will not be eligible for evaluation or support.
Contact Information
After reviewing the call details and the IIASA portal, researchers who have any inquiries regarding the submission process may send a ticket from their RTMS profile to the Systems Think Tank, addressed to Dr. Mirzaei.
Soroush
