Foundation

The Volkswagen Foundation (VolkswagenStiftung) is dedicated to the support of the humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology in higher education and research. It funds research projects in path-breaking areas and provides assistance to academic institutions for the improvement of the structural conditions for their work. In particular, the Foundation perceives its mission in supporting aspiring young researchers and in promoting interdisciplinary and international collaboration.

The Volkswagen Foundation, based in Hanover, is a non-profit-making foundation established under private law in 1961. The Foundation owes its existence to a treaty between the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Lower Saxony. The Foundation is not affiliated to the car manufacturer of the same name, but independent and autonomous in its decisions.

The Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees comprising 14 eminent persons drawn from the domains of academia, politics, and industry. It appoints the Secretary General, who heads the office with around 95 staff.

The Foundation's assets, amounting to about 2.6 billion euros, are invested so as to obtain the optimum long-term yield. The Foundation is economically independent and autonomous in its decision-making.