Funding
Our Funding Initiatives...
The Volkswagen Foundation focuses its funding activities on selected funding initiatives. By means of these initiatives, currently 20 in all, it endeavors to provide effective stimuli for research and to establish forward-looking topics. The funding initiatives are grouped into four areas: "Support of Persons and New Structures", "International Focus", "Thematic Impetus" and "Social and Cultural Challenges".
Under the heading of "Off the Beaten Track", in special instances also those projects have a chance that cannot be classified among the existing initiatives, but which to an exceptional degree investigate forward-looking issues. Additionally there are two special funding offers at the moment, called European Platform for Life Sciences, Mind Sciences, and the Humanities and Science, the Public, and Society.
Finally the heading "Niedersächsisches Vorab" relates to those parts of the funds that - according to the Foundation’s statutes - is earmarked to support research in Lower Saxony.
... and How to Apply
Here you will find not only detailed information on each funding initiative, but also all the relevant details for submitting applications. Before applying, please be sure to read the general prerequisites, the exclusion criteria and the funding principles, all of which you can reach via the corresponding links on the right.
We trust you will understand that we cannot consider any applications that do not make reference to our funding initiatives.
For Applicants
Funding News
2010-07-26 850,000 Euros for medical research in Africa
In a joint effort with four other European foundations, the Volkswagen Foundation has opened a second round of funding for African scientists conducting research on neglected diseases. more
2010-07-14 Atoms in the flurry of flashes
With 27,000 X-ray flashes per second, free-electron laser visualize objects that researchers have never seen before. The Volkswagen Foundation supports the establishment of the pioneering method with a new funding initiative. more
2010-07-05 € 100 million euros for research organizations in Germany and abroad
Germany's largest private research founder published its Annual Report 2009 more
