Our Funding Portfolio
The Volkswagen Foundation is dedicated to the support of the humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology in higher education and research. It funds research projects in path-breaking areas and provides assistance to academic institutions for the improvement of the structural conditions for their work.
We provide support in four profile areas
Funding portfolio
We support future-oriented topics with our funding offers.
-
NEXT – 'Dual Use' of Ideas and Concepts from the Humanities and Social Sciences
Learn moreWhen academic ideas are taken out of their original context, they can have unexpected effects. This funding offer is aimed at project teams from the humanities, cultural studies, and social sciences who are investigating how this transfer of ideas from academia into political and ideological contexts takes place.
-
area of research: humanities and cultural studies, social sciences, science studies
-
type of funding: cooperation projects; funding of a teaching substitute / own positions for postdoctoral researchers
-
-
Night Science – Space for the Creative Mind
Learn moreThe funding programme is aimed at interdisciplinary tandems of two scientists who are open to unconventional approaches and have the desire to develop and implement innovative ideas for their research.
-
area of research: Natural, Life and Engineering Sciences (excluding medical sciences)
-
type of funding: Promotion of scientists’ creativity in tandems + obligatory support programme with three workshops
-
-
Opus Magnum
Learn moreThe funding offer is aimed at outstanding professors from the humanities and social sciences.
-
area of research: humanities, cultural studies and social sciences
-
type of funding: funding of a substitute professorship
-
-
Perspectives on Wealth – Ideas Competition for Knowledge Transfer
Learn moreResearchers funded under the “Perspectives on Wealth” funding initiative may apply for additional funding to present their findings in a way that is tailored to specific target audiences, with a view to disseminating knowledge beyond the confines of academic discourse.
-
area of research: humanities, cultural and social sciences, economics; collaboration with education science, communication and media studies possible
-
type of funding: teaching, science communication
-
-
Pioneer Projects – Impetus for the German Research System
Learn moreThe funding offer addresses active researchers who, in addition to their research activities, would like to explore a project idea for the further development (of a specific area) of the German research system, as well as academic administrators at universities and research institutions in Germany.
-
area of research: all disciplines
-
type of funding: Innovative pioneer projects aiming at improving the (German) research system
-
-
Pioneering Research – Exploring the Unknown Unknown
Learn moreThe funding offer addresses outstanding post-doctoral researchers and professors universities and research institutes in Germany, international cooperation partners are possible.
-
area of research: all disciplines
-
type of funding: visionary projects from the field of basic research
-
-
Researching Research: Strengthening University Centres
Learn moreThe funding offer is aimed at established centres, institutes or research priority areas for Science Studies at universities in Germany that have been institutionalised in recent years and are striving for further structural development.
-
area of research: science studies
-
type of funding: funds for structural measures
-
-
Scoping Workshops
Learn moreThe Volkswagen Foundation’s scoping workshops are for scientists who want to take a step beyond their current research activities and think about the future of their field of research.
-
area of research: all disciplines
-
type of funding: workshops at the conference center Xplanatorium Herrenhausen Palace, Hannover
-
