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Reaching funding decisions by drawing lots? Although that might sound a little dubious, it is not. This is proven by a scientifically monitored experiment carried out by the Volkswagen Foundation, which concludes that a partially randomized selection procedure following the scientific reviews brings more diversity into the pool of grantees. The researchers asked by the Foundation to monitor the procedure arrive at some interesting insights in their overall assessment.

Physicist Bianca Lim is responsible for strategic planning at the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin, keeping research "at the cutting edge". She wants to help bring the production of solar modules back to Germany.

The new call for proposals for "Pioneering Research - Exploring the Unknown Unknown" offers higher funding amounts and longer funding periods. Pavel Dutow and Theresa Kratzsch explain what has changed and who can apply. Application deadline for the program is Sept. 3, 2024.

Why the Volkswagen Foundation also funds projects involving experiments with animals.

The Volkswagen Foundation believes that transdisciplinary research is a promising way of tackling major future issues. In the following interview, team leader Adelheid Wessler explains how the Foundation wants to create new funding opportunities to help establish this methodological approach over the long term – alongside basic and discipline-defined research.

Liberal democracy is a basic prerequisite for a scientific landscape with independent freedom of research. But how can we protect our democratic structures? And what dangers are they exposed to? Ten newly funded research projects are dedicated to these and other highly topical questions of democracy research.