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.
Funding portfolio
We focus our funding activities on selected initiatives. By means of these initiatives, we endeavor to provide effective stimuli for research and to establish forward-looking topics.
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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
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funding for: preparation and storing of research data for its reuse
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Additional Funding for Science Communication
The offer is aimed at grantees currently receiving funding from the Volkswagen Foundation.
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all disciplines
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funding for: innovative measures for science communication
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Earth System Sciences
The offer is aimed at universities in Germany with a focus on geosciences that wish to establish one or two junior professorships with tenure track.
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area of research: Geosciences
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funding for: 1-2 junior professorships with tenure track per University location
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Scoping Workshops
The 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.
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area of research: all disciplines
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type of funding: workshops at the conference center Xplanatorium Herrenhausen Palace, Hannover
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Thematic week: Human rights in times of multiple challenges – perspectives from science and society
Researchers at German universities and research institutions (all career stages after the doctorate) can apply.
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area of research: Humanities and social sciences
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aimed at researchers at German universities/research institutes, possibly intl. co-applicants
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Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change – Transdisciplinary Perspectives
The call addresses persons from science and (civil) society who are interested in transdisciplinary research and aim at jointly developing new perspectives on democratic forms of government under change.
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area of research: humanities, cultural and social sciences (lead); cooperation with natural, life, data and technical sciences possible
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type of funding: task forces, cooperation projects
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Opus Magnum
The funding offer is aimed at outstanding professors from the humanities and social sciences.
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area of research: humanities, cultural studies and social sciences
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type of funding: funding of a substitute professorship
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Perspectives on Wealth: The (Re-)Production of Wealth
The call is aimed at (inter-)national research groups, inter- and transdisciplinary teams are possible.
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area of research: Humanities, cultural and social sciences (lead); Cooperation with natural, life, data and technical sciences possible
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type of funding: cooperation projects (international/national; summer schools and workshops
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