Foundation for innovation in education

Change often comes about not through a major reform but as a result of many small innovations

The Foundation for innovation in education was established on 1 January 2017 by means of a federal law, the Innovation Foundation Act (ISG) (in German only). It is tasked with helping to raise the level of education and the innovation skills of all age groups in Austria by funding innovative projects in the Austrian education sector.

The Foundation for innovation in education acts as intermediary, supporter and enabler to change the system by efficiently networking with all relevant Austrian educational institutions. The Foundation’s approach to bringing about innovation in education is as follows: It incorporates everyone involved, both teachers and learners, connecting them with existing initiatives, institutions and the administration and searching for new, innovative answers to current educational challenges. The guiding theme is this: “We live by the bottom-up principle and listen to our community” – an approach in line with the international standards in educational innovation.

The Foundation coordinates and networks expertise already existing in many parts of the education system. It is dedicated to the systemic use and innovative expansion of projects and acts to bundle, channel and strengthen these forces.

The Foundation for innovation in education does not usually fund projects directly. Instead it joins with partners to establish foundations (called co-foundations), which then fund projects. Two co-foundations that have already been established are Sinnbildungsstiftung (focused on meaningful change) and motion4kids (focused on children’s health).

The Foundation for innovation in education works in the scope of legally specified categories:

• Strategic research for the further development and renewal of the education system
• Transformation of the education system, especially in keeping with the following priorities:
   - Education and research
   - Business and education
   - Development of the education market
   - Integrated development projects in the fields of research, education and innovation
• Awareness-raising
• Pilot projects to promote collaboration among institutions as elaborated in paragraph 3
• Scholarships to raise the level of education and innovation skills in Austria

Contacts

Christina Pfaller
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Department V/4
Minoritenplatz 5, 1010 Vienna
T +43 53120 6390
christina.pfaller@bmbwf.gv.at

Foundation for innovation in education 
Teresa Torzicky
Agency for Education and Internationalisation (OeAD)
Ebendorferstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna
T +43 53408 123
teresa.torzicky@oead.at