Bernhard Plunger received his master degree in physics at the University of Innsbruck in 1995. He has been an employee of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAW) in various positions since 1996. At the beginning of 2002, he took over the Academy's International Relations Department.

Bernhard Plunger's main responsibilities are the bilateral relations of the OeAW with its more than 60 partner Academies worldwide.

Based on this network, a scientific exchange programme is one of the fundamental measures to foster the international contacts of the Austrian Academy. The memberships of the OeAW in international organisations and academy associations complement the activity portfolio of the International Relations Department, enabling its involvement in scientific and science policy planning on an international level, which in turn benefits the research landscape in Austria.

The OeAW's Joint Excellence in Science and Humanities (JESH) programme – run by the International Relations Department – promotes cooperation between excellent researchers from abroad at the beginning of their scientific career and scholars in Austria. JESH offers an incoming programme for researchers from different target countries as well as an outgoing programme for Austrian researchers.