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Over the next three years at least, the Foundation’s reviewers will continue to be eligible to receive a grant of 10,000 euro by lottery. No application is required; participation is automatic upon undertaking the role of reviewer.

Through its funding initiative 'Open Up – New Research Spaces for the Humanities and Cultural Studies', the Volkswagen Foundation has supported a total of 57 project teams since 2021. Even after the funding programme has come to an end, the funded projects continue to have an impact, as does the 'Distributed Peer Review' process, which was successfully trialled as part of the initiative.

Following a comprehensive overhaul, the Volkswagen Foundation’s Grants Database now features enhanced search functions and a clear, modern design.

Twice a year - at the beginning of each semester in April and October - the Volkswagen Foundation offers a free, one-hour live webinar in English on the funding portfolio. The next webinar is scheduled for 7 October 2026, 2 p.m..

The Volkswagen Foundation is taking a key step towards improving working conditions in academia: in future, full-time positions for PhD candidates are set to become the norm in Germany. In this interview, Henrike Hartmann, Head of the Business Unit Funding, explains the new policy.

Through its "Momentum" funding programme, the Foundation creates space for new ideas within the professorship. It supports initiatives that enable professors to further develop their research and teaching and to establish new areas of focus. Current projects include biodegradable plastics, AI-supported learning in schools, and the question of how public authorities can remain effective during crises.