Research for democracy: funding programme for cooperation projects
How do democracies change in the face of global challenges? And what can science contribute to their resilience? Researchers and stakeholders outside of academia are to develop answers in cooperation projects funded by the Volkswagen Foundation for up to five years. Nora Kottmann and Cora Schaffert-Ziegenbalg present the programme.
Sustainability and a resource-efficient design of research processes are important issues for the foundation. It therefore provides its funding recipients with funds to have their laboratories certified as sustainable through respective certification programmes.
Apply now with your symposium: The causes, consequences and challenges of strained financial, material and human resources on society and economy are in the focus of the theme week from 15 to 17 April 2026. Deadline: 02 September 2025
From energy-intensive equipment and ventilation systems to consumables: scientific research laboratories consume a lot of energy and other resources. Chemist Prof. Dr Nico Bruns from TU Darmstadt explains why it pays to properly organise laboratories with the aim of achieving more sustainably.
Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change – Transdisciplinary Perspectives
The programme addresses persons from science together with actors outside of academia who are interested in transdisciplinary research and aim at jointly developing new perspectives on democratic forms of government under change.
A Pharmacy From the Rainforest: Remedies for the Mind
Fabien Schultz is searching for natural materials that can be used to treat mental health conditions. To this end, he is working with indigenous communities in Uganda and Tanzania – and with monkeys.
Wolfram Pernice is researching how computers based on neural networks could in future compute even faster and more efficiently – using light instead of electronics. And real nerves instead of optical fibres.
