Our Funding Portfolio

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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

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Societal Transformations

Expanding knowledge about processes of transformation and developing possible courses of action together with stakeholders in civil society.

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Exploration

Breaking into previously unexplored research territory with unconventional ideas and experimental approaches.

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Understanding Research

Critically exploring and reflecting on the research system with a view to initiating positive change on areas such as career paths, governance, research and teaching.

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Funding program for top-level research in Lower Saxony.

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Funding portfolio

We support future-oriented topics with our funding offers.

Area of research

Type of funding

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  • Logo zukunft.niedersachsen
    30 September 2025 Deadline

    AI Research Groups Lower Saxony

    As a key technology, artificial intelligence is of central importance to Lower Saxony's research system. This call for proposals combines the objectives of promoting individual scientists with the further development of AI methods and their application to existing data sets. 

    Website zukunft.niedersachsen
    • area of research: computer science, artificial intelligence, application disciplines
    • type of funding: ​research groups​
  • Illustration with a woman in a hard hat and a building plan in front of an advertising pillar
    Next deadline for research groups (senior scientists) expected in the 2nd half of 2025

    Change! Fellowships

    Our target group: Personalities from science who are researching transformation processes jointly with non-academic partners.

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    • area of research: all disciplines
    • funding for: own position
  • Illustration with a person in a swirl of objects and materials that can be recycled
    The call is currently under review and will be republished in autumn 2025.

    Circularity with recycled and biogenic resources

    The current call within the funding line 'Collaborative projects' of this initiative is primarily targeted at the natural sciences and engineering.

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    • area of research: natural sciences and engineering, if required social sciences
    • type of funding: research projects
  • Illustration of a person standing in front of an ancient steam engine powered by files and producing binary code
    Apply anytime

    Data Reuse – Additional Funding for the Preparation and Storage of Research Data (Open Science)

    The funding offer aims at grantees of the Volkswagen Foundation, eligible are current projects and projects that have been funded approximately in the last 6 months.

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    • area of research: all
    • funding for: preparation and storing of research data for its reuse
  • Illustration mit zwei Personen, die sich hinter einem Aktenstapel abklatschen, darüber fliegt eine Rakete, auf der eine Schnecke sitzt
    13 August 2025 Online Q&A (Registration Required)
    30 September 2025 Deadline
    11 September 2026: Meeting for Funded Projects

    Impetus for the German Science System: Strategic Experimental Spaces – University Development Requires Flexibility

    The Foundation invites universities, in conjunction with the relevant ministries, to open and design experimental spaces to test new forms of cross-border or cross-institutional cooperation.

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    • type of funding: strategic projects
    • aimed at: universities, ministries
  • Logo zukunft.niedersachsen
    Next deadline expected in summer 2026

    Lower Saxony – Scotland Research and Innovation Scheme: Stream II – Excellence Track

    ​The programme provides Lower Saxonian and Scottish higher education institutions and their researchers with an opportunity to conduct joint research to lay the foundation for successful third-party funding bids, in particular Horizon Europe.

    Website zukunft.niedersachsen.de
    • area of research: all topics, particularly energy (transformation), life sciences, educational sciences, mobility and its transformation as well as security policy
    • type of funding: cooperative research projects
  • Illustration of a woman with a laptop in a hot air balloon powered by fans
    14 April 2026 Deadline
    06 April 2027 Deadline

    Momentum – Funding for Recently Tenured Professors

    The funding offer is aimed at professors three to five years after taking up their first tenured professorship at a university in Germany.

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    • area of research: all disciplines
    • type of funding: concepts for the broadening of perspectives
  • Illustration with a hand erasing a drawing of a human brain
    28 August 2025 Deadline

    NEXT – Rethink Neurodegeneration!

    The programm is aimed at interdisciplinary research teams investigating the fundamental mechanisms of dementia-causing neurodegeneration.

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    • area of research: basic research in the natural and life sciences
    • type of funding: interdisciplinary research projects with 2-5 PIs /Co-PIs (principal investigators)

Completed 

Here you can find our previous funding offers.

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Funded projects

Our "Grants Database" informs on research projects and researchers who received funds by the Volkswagen Foundation (since 2004).

visit Grants database