Newsroom

Did a volcanic eruption in 1783 shift the tropical rain belt? Old ship’s logs could provide the answer – and also shed light on the future climate for millions of people living around the equator.

With the programme "Pioneering Research – Exploring the Unknown Unknown", the Foundation supports groundbreaking and risky research ideas with high scientific relevance. Online Q&As: 11 June and 16 July, deadline for short proposals: 27 August 2026

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.

Why is wealth increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few? The “Perspectives on Wealth” initiative is coming to an end after two calls for proposals – its 15 international projects, with a total budget of €38.3 million, have investigated how wealth shapes politics, society and inequality. Some  projects will continue until 2029

The programme is aimed at professors at US universities who are conducting research on the future of democracy, fundamental rights and academic freedom, or the future of transatlantic relations and who would like to work simultaneously in both the USA and Germany for a period of three years. Applications can be submitted at any time, Online Q&A session for host institutions on 25 June (registration required)

Funding is provided for strategic concepts at universities in conjunction with the relevant ministries, within which new approaches are tested that previously could not be implemented due to legal or bureaucratic regulations. Next deadline: 10 September 2026; online Q&A on 2 July