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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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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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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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, engineering
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type of funding: research projects
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Open Up – New Research Spaces for the Humanities and Cultural Studies
The funding initiative addresses teams of two or three researchers who aim to explore new and original research spaces.
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area of research: humanities and cultural studies, theoretical social sciences
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type of funding: research projects; funding of a teaching substitute
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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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Researching Research: Collaborative Research Projects
The funding scheme is aimed at scientists and scholars of all career stages from postdoc onwards who work on issues related to research on research. The Foundation promotes interdisciplinary, multi-method and internationally oriented research projects.
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area of research: disciplines conducting research on research
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type of funding: research 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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Challenges and Potentials for Europe: Intergenerational Futures
The call "Challenges and Potentials for Europe: Intergenerational Futures" is aimed at international research groups from the social sciences, cultural studies and humanities.