Newsroom

Interview 15 September 2020

On the way to an ideal science discourse

Corona gives science a shakeup. One effect is that researchers discuss their ideas more openly and share their data and results earlier. That is Open Science. Does openness make research better? A conversation with Ulrich Dirnagl.

Interview 18 August 2020

Knowledge of primeval times helps to counter the climate crisis

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has appointed palaeobiologist Wolfgang Kiessling to act as a main author of the next world climate report. Read the following interview about forecasts, parallels, and his contribution to combating the climate crisis.

Story 13 August 2020

Alliance with the Serpent King

The biologist Ulrich Kuch has been doing intensive research on venomous snakes for years. Now, together with experts in Myanmar, he is looking for a new method to protect people around the world from bites.

News 10 August 2020

On the trail of the evolution of viruses

As part of its "Life?" initiative, the Volkswagen Foundation is supporting an international team in the research of a novel virus-like element with 1 million euros.

News 04 August 2020

Corona-update: Why we are postponing deadlines

The pandemic has a huge impact on research: Projects are delayed or even fail completely to get off the ground. New fields of research are vaguely beginning to emerge. All this calls for agile and flexible action, and the Volkswagen Foundation is gearing up for it.

Interview 30 July 2020

Behind the scenes of research culture: "Black Box Science"

Freigeist Fellow Rainer Kaufmann has the courage to leave the comfort zone – his video project "Black Box Science" gives an uncompromising view of research culture. An interview about the realities of everyday life in research and the origins of the "Black Box" project.

Stories

Mehrere Personen sitzen zusammen, eine Frau erzählt etwas, ein Mann tippt dabei an einem Laptop. Im Hintergrund sind Bananenpflanzen und ein Dschungel-Wald zu sehen.
Story 27 May 2026

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.

Portrait eines Mannes
Story 26 March 2026

Hybrid Computers Made of Nerves and Fibre Optics

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.

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