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Design researcher Dr. Judith Dörrenbächer from the University of Siegen aims to explore how ‘smart’ technologies in public spaces can foster not only efficiency but also humanity – namely in the form of patient, impartial mediators between people.

Radioactivity is generally considered harmful to life. Yet in manganese nodules in the deep sea, microorganisms might benefit from it. Or even live off it? This is the intriguing hypothesis that geoscientist Walter Geibert hopes to prove.

The Volkswagen Foundation and the Hertie Foundation are each providing 1.25 million euros in support of the newly established Max Planck Centre for Democracy, Security and Human Rights. 

The Volkswagen Foundation is now supporting eleven new research projects on topics such as cyber violence, gender equality, Muslim family law and far-right interpretations of history, amongst others.

What happens in the brain when we are confronted with completely unknown things and situations? At TU Dresden, Christian Beste is researching what is known as the "unknown unknown". To do so, he is turning science on its head.

There are no effective medicines for many viral diseases. As a result, they can develop into a global threat. As part of the initiative "Innovative Approaches in Antiviral Drug Development", the Volkswagen Foundation is now funding four research groups that are investigating viruses which have been little studied to date and aim to develop new therapeutic strategies to combat them.