European Joint Master’s Programme in Digital Society, Social Innovation and Global Citizenship (DIGISOC) DIGISOC Scholarship Programme Academic Year 2026/2027 Call for Application

Eligibility Criteria

Students enrolled in DIGISOC for the second year are eligible to apply for a scholarship if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. Students with certified disabilities

Students with certified disabilities can apply for a DIGISOC scholarship. In the context of this call, and following Article 1 of the European Disability Policy, students with disabilities are considered students who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. Applicants must provide certified medical documentation or proof of a national disability status.

2. Migrants or refugees

Students who are migrants or refugees can apply for funding based on their status. Required proof may include an asylum decision, a residence permit, or confirmation issued by a migration authority.

3. Students with low socio-economic family conditions

Students from families with low socio-economic conditions can apply for funding. Low socio-economic conditions are defined according to the student’s family income. Required proof may include a tax statement, an income certificate, or an official social benefit statement.

4. Students living in remote areas

Students living in a region in the lowest 25% of national population density and/or with no regular access to higher education within a 100 km radius may apply. Required proof is a residence certificate, which will be assessed against infrastructure data based on national statistics.

Application process and period for the academic year 2026/2027

The deadline to submit applications for the DIGISOC scholarships is 10. December 2026 at 23.59 CET (Central European Time).

Applicants are required to upload the necessary documents listed below on the DIGISOC OpenOlat platform at the following link:

https://lms.uibk.ac.at/auth/RepositoryEntry/5831590270/CourseNode/114518610654144

Applicants are required to upload the following materials in a single folder labelled with the applicant’s name:

· The signed Application Letter (Annex 1);

· The applicant’s registration number (Matrikelnummer) at the University of Innsbruck;

· The supporting documentation for each claimed eligibility criterion, issued by a responsible authority or accredited expert.

· The Data Protection and Consent Declaration (Annex 2).

The application must be in English. Supporting documents may be submitted in English, Italian, German, or Czech; documents in other languages require certified translations. If the documentation is insufficient, the Evaluation Committee may request additional information or reject the application.

By submitting the application and signing Annex 1, the applicant expressly confirms that the application has been submitted completely and correctly and that all information and supporting documents are accurate and complete. Incomplete applications may be excluded from the selection procedure.

Evaluation Committee

A joint Evaluation Committee, appointed by the Study Coordinator (Studienbeauftragter) of the Faculty of Economics and Statistics of the University of Innsbruck, reviews all applications and consists of:

· One representative from each of the three DIGISOC degree-awarding universities;

· At least one student representative from the University of Innsbruck;

· Disability officer at the University of Innsbruck.

The Committee is appointed after the deadline for application submission and completes the evaluation process no later than 15 days after the deadline.

Awarding Criteria and Evaluation Procedure

The joint Evaluation Committee will evaluate each application and award points based on the following criteria:

1. Students with certified disabilities

Applicants will be awarded points on the basis of the severity and impact of their condition, ranging from 5 points for a comparatively less impactful disability to 10 points for a very serious disability.

2. Migrants or refugees

Applicants will be awarded points as follows:

a. 10 points for refugee status;

b. 10 points for migrant status with less than 5 years in the current country of residence;

c. 5 points for migrant status with 5 or more years in the current country of residence.

3. Low socio-economic family condition

Applicants will be awarded 10 points if their family income falls within the first quartile (Q1), i.e. within the 25% of the population with the lowest incomes in their country of origin. Applicants will be awarded 5 points if their family income falls between the first and second quartile (Q2), i.e. within the range defined by the median income and Q1 in their country of origin. The reference fiscal year is the year preceding the year in which the application is submitted.

4. Remote areas

Applicants will be awarded 5 points for residence in a remote area. An additional 5 points will be awarded if the student’s residence is in a remote area with no regular access to higher education within a 100 km radius.

All applications will be ranked on the basis of the sum of points obtained across the four criteria. Each application can obtain a maximum of 30 points.

To determine the exact amount of the scholarship allocated to each applicant, the joint Evaluation Committee will use a proportional point-based model:

· Total funds available are divided by the sum of all points awarded across valid applications;

· This determines a value per point (EUR/point);

· Each applicant receives funding according to their own score, up to the maximum of EUR 3,000.00.

The decision of the joint Evaluation Committee is final, subject to the appeal procedure set out in Article 6.

The exact amount of funding and its composition awarded to each applicant will be published via the Learning Management System OpenOLAT. This publication constitutes as notification.

Acceptance and Appeals

Applicants are notified of decisions within 15 days after the end of the submission period via e-mail. Rejected applications include a short justification.

Applicants who are not awarded a scholarship have the right to appeal. Appeals may be submitted by e-mail to digisoc@uibk.ac.at and will be reviewed by the joint Evaluation Committee, including the designated representative responsible for disability, inclusion and/or equal-treatment matters.

Within the mandatory deadline of 5 days from receipt of the scholarship award notice, the applicant must send the declaration of acceptance by e-mail to digisoc@uibk.ac.at without reservation and under the conditions of this Call for Application. Failure to do so results in forfeiture of the award.

With the declaration of acceptance, the scholarship holder must also undertake to communicate any change occurring during the academic year that affects information previously declared or eligibility for the scholarship.

Requirements for receiving the scholarship

Before disbursement, the scholarship holder will complete the required scholarship documentation with the University of Innsbruck and must provide:

· A current enrolment certificate showing the register number;

· The applicant’s full residential address (street and house number, postal code, city, and country);

· Bank details for an account held in the scholarship holder’s name, including an IBAN and any further information required to enable a SEPA credit transfer. It must be expressly possible to make the scholarship payment by SEPA transfer to the account provided;

· A copy of a valid passport or other accepted identification document.

Scholarship holders remain solely responsible for all tax-law clarifications and obligations connected with the scholarship.

The scholarship holder must also confirm that no employment relationship with the University of Innsbruck exists or will exist for the duration of the academic year for which the scholarship is awarded.

Financial and Disbursement Procedures

Scholarships are paid in one instalment per academic year.

Disbursement is handled by the University of Innsbruck as the DIGISOC degree-awarding university issuing this Call for Application.

Payment will be made by SEPA credit transfer to a current account in the name of the scholarship holder. The account provided must be capable of receiving a SEPA transfer. The scholarship holder is responsible for providing complete and correct bank details and for any bank charges or conversion costs that may arise outside the scope of the SEPA payment.

Renunciation

In the event of withdrawal from the scholarship after acceptance, scholarship holders must give written notice by e-mail to digisoc@uibk.ac.at.

In case of transfer to another programme during the 2026/2027 academic year, the scholarship holder will be considered to have renounced the scholarship and must return the full amount of the scholarship.

A scholarship holder who renounces the scholarship is required to return any amounts received, except in duly justified special cases, which will be assessed by the joint Evaluation Committee.

Final provisions

All resources and updates will be made available via the DIGISOC website – Costs and Scholarships page https://digitalsociety4innovation.eu/costs-and-scholarships/

The following templates and tools will be published on the same page:

· Application and documentation guidelines;

· Acceptance letter template.

For further questions, please contact:

· Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II: digisoc@unina.it

· Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, Czechia: digisoc@upol.cz

· University of Innsbruck, Austria: digisoc@uibk.ac.at

Disclaimer

This Call for Application and the financial support awarded under it do not constitute an EU action. The Call is launched and administered by the University of Innsbruck in its own name and under its own responsibility.

The scholarship programme is partially financed with funds made available to the University of Innsbruck in the framework of the EU-funded EURIDICE / DIGISOC project. Notwithstanding this source of funding, the financial support to successful applicants is awarded and provided directly by the University of Innsbruck.

The University of Innsbruck remains responsible for the preparation and implementation of this Call, including the application procedure and the selection of successful applicants by the joint Evaluation Committee appointed in accordance with Article 4.

The publication of this Call in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal is made solely for information and visibility purposes, including to inform potential applicants. Such publication does not imply any direct or indirect approval, endorsement or validation by the European Union or any of its institutions, bodies or agencies of the content, conditions, selection procedure or outcome of this Call. Nor does such publication transfer to the European Union any responsibility for the administration of the Call or the award of the scholarships, which remains with the University of Innsbruck.