(Vienna, 13 October 2026) Two years ago, Vienna began specifically funding research into ME/CFS. Today, the results of this initiative are evident: the Vienna Science, Research and Technology Fund (WWTF), in collaboration with the WE&ME Foundation, is awarding two Consolidation Grants of around one million euros each at MedUni Vienna projects – the largest individual grants for ME/CFS research in Austria to date. Mayor Michael Ludwig presented the projects alongside WWTF President Michael Häupl and Gerhard Ströck, Chairman of the WE&ME Foundation, in the ballroom of Vienna City Hall. Since 2024, the WWTF and the WE&ME Foundation have jointly provided around 3.1 million euros for ME/CFS research in Vienna.
“ME/CFS is not a rare condition,” emphasised Ludwig. In Austria, an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 people are affected – more than those with multiple sclerosis. Around 60 per cent of those affected are partially unable to work, whilst about a quarter are confined to their homes or beds. Yet, he noted, there has been little research into the condition to date. “This is precisely where the city is stepping in. Where knowledge is lacking, research must step in. For us, health means both: excellent research and care that reaches the people,” said the mayor.
New talent for a neglected field
As a local research funder, the WWTF can act quickly and specifically to fill the gaps left by others, explained WWTF President Michael Häupl. “ME/CFS was one such gap: many sufferers, hardly any research, hardly any funding.” Seven exploratory projects in 2024 (700,000 euros) were followed in 2025 by the establishment of an ME/CFS biobank at MedUni Vienna (200,000 euros), in 2026 by six fellowships for young researchers (233,000 euros) and now by the two consolidation grants.
One aim from the outset had been to ensure that ME/CFS is not a scientific dead end for researchers. “We wanted to attract new people to this field. We’ve succeeded: neither of the project leaders receiving funding had any connection to ME/CFS before our first round of funding. Today, they and their teams are part of very active research groups in Austria,” said Häupl.
The projects were selected by an international panel of experts. A particularly novel aspect of the award process was that scientists living with the condition from the international Science4ME Forum took part in the assessment as patient experts.
Philanthropic commitment born of personal experience
The Ströck family’s WE&ME Foundation was established out of personal experience – two adult sons suffer from ME/CFS – and the realisation that there are hardly any support services for patients and their families, hardly any diagnostic facilities, and very little research that could change this, explained Gerhard Ströck. That is why they decided to focus on basic research that seeks to unravel the key mechanisms of the condition and also takes those affected seriously. “The WWTF brings something that a foundation alone does not have: experience with funding procedures, international peer review and a transparent selection process. For our donors, this means that every euro goes towards research that meets international standards,” said Ströck.
From a pilot project to a major initiative
Lukas Haider from MedUni Vienna then outlined how an initial project grant can develop into a long-term project. He originally comes from the field of multiple sclerosis research. “To this day, ME/CFS has no established biomarker and no causal treatment. Without targeted funding, nobody enters this field because there is no groundwork to build on. The WWTF funded precisely this groundwork,” said Haider.
In the preliminary project, his team found evidence that, under conditions of controlled oxygen deprivation, the energy supply to the brain and muscles fails in ME/CFS patients, whilst healthy individuals are able to compensate for this. The new ME-RESET project (Lukas Haider, Martin Krššák, Kathrin Kollndorfer; 36 months, 999,930 euros) aims to clarify exactly where this failure occurs, whether it is due to blood flow or the mitochondria, and whether it can be partially reversed by oxygen supplementation. To this end, patients will be examined in a randomised study using multi-organ MRI, MR spectroscopy and blood markers. The focus is on the disease mechanism, not on a ready-made treatment.
The second project (Matthias Wielscher, Kathryn Hoffmann; 36 months, 999,169 euros) investigates whether some people diagnosed with ME/CFS have a previously unrecognised rare genetic disorder. To this end, the team is establishing an Austrian cohort and analysing it using whole-genome sequencing. A new ‘ME/CFS Rare Disease Board’ will evaluate the findings. The aim is to achieve more precise diagnosis.
MedUni Vienna as the hub
“It is important to us to bring together basic research and its relevance to patients. This requires an environment in which clinical practice and basic research collaborate directly. We have that here,” said Michaela Fritz, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation at MedUni Vienna. Since September 2024, MedUni Vienna has also been home to the National Reference Centre for Post-Viral Syndromes, which provides information to healthcare professionals throughout Austria on behalf of the Ministry of Health. It is headed by Eva Untersmayr-Elsenhuber and Kathryn Hoffmann.
About the projects:
https://wwtf.at/funding/programmes/ei/ME-CFS-CC26-003/
https://wwtf.at/funding/programmes/ei/ME-CFS-CC26-004/
From 2027: PAIS Centre in Vienna
With the PAIS Centre, the Vienna Health Network is establishing a specialised centre for people with post-acute infection syndromes (PAIS), such as post-COVID and ME/CFS. “Until now, those affected often had to actively seek out doctors who were familiar with the condition. The centre will be the first specialised centre of its kind in Vienna. The initial focus will be on diagnosis, symptom management and support,” said Michael Binder, Medical Director of the Vienna Health Network.
Care will begin in summer 2027 in the first phase of development and will be fully available from mid-2028 in the final phase. The centre combines medical care with therapeutic support based on current guidelines.
“Vienna is promoting this important research work and also supporting those affected locally. ‘With the PAIS Centre, research, expertise and care are coming together under one roof in Vienna,’ concluded Mayor Ludwig.
About ME/CFS
ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) is a severe neuroimmunological multisystem disorder which has been classified by the WHO as a neurological disorder since 1969 (ICD G93.3). The core symptom is post-exertional malaise (PEM): Even after minimal physical or mental exertion, the condition of those affected deteriorates significantly, usually with a delay of 24 to 72 hours. Physical activity or exercise exacerbates the condition; ‘pacing’, i.e. adapted energy management, is recommended. ME/CFS frequently occurs following viral infections, including COVID-19. There is currently no curative treatment.