My grant diary
The Austrian Federal Government let the pet project of our former vice- chancellor Pröll (not the one with the trademark hairstyle) fall asleep gently — the reform of our infamous jungle of grants, aiming at simplification and transparency. That such a reform could save several billion (EUROs mind you) per year, according to the Federal Court of Auditors (for which I save far less skepticism than for most government institutions), making the costs of rescuing the Hypo Alpe Adria bank fade in comparison, is easy to get over in view of state coffers being stuffed with taxes on labor income (or have I misunderstood something?).
Some consultants even make a living from shedding light into this jungle. This includes us. We see ourselves a bit as Robin Hood of the taxpayer. If no tax reforms are on the agenda, at least we can help retrieve a small part of the taxes paid.
And that leads me to my grant diary.
What happens to my clients and me is funny from time to time, sometimes incredible, often important and in most cases useful. And so I thought to myself — why not let the valued visitors of our website benefit from these experiences? Therefore I will cover the lucrative and sometimes bizarre world of grants and subsidies at irregular intervals; a recluse of feudalism in Austria, an area where the motto is: “even if you meet all the criteria, no rights to grants exist”. Are you ready for some surprises?
