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.

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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zukunft.niedersachsen

Funding program for top-level research in Lower Saxony.

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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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May 07, 2024 Deadline

December 2024: Themed week in Hannover

Themed Week 'Digital Competences in Science'

Stakeholders from research, infrastructure areas, science management, libraries, technical services and administration can apply with their symposium.

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subject area: all

funding for scientific events
March 2025: Deadline for full proposals (phase 2)

Transdisciplinary Approaches to Mobility and Global Health

The call is directed at researchers from HICs and LMICs, in close collaboration with local communities, non-academic stakeholders and other relevant actors. It is jointly initiated by the three independent private foundations Novo Nordisk Foundation (Denmark), Wellcome (Great Britain) and Volkswagen Foundation.

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areas of research: social sciences, life & health sciences

funding for: international collaborative projects
Next deadline for task forces in 2025

Next deadline for cooperation projects in 2025

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

type of funding: task forces, cooperation projects
June 30, 2024 Deadline

zukunft.niedersachsen: Innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to combat rare diseases

The new funding offer within the framework of zukunft.niedersachsen is aimed at professors and postdocs at universities and non-university research institutions in Lower Saxony.

Website zukunft.niedersachsen.de
area of research: rare diseases, personalised medicine, biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics, data sciences

type of funding: collaborative and individual projects
May 31, 2024 Call for proposals (humanities and social sciences)

zukunft.niedersachsen: Research Cooperation Lower Saxony – Israel

Funding is provided for scientifically outstanding projects conducted jointly by researchers from Israel and Lower Saxony.

Website zukunft.niedersachsen.de
area of research: humanities and social sciences (call 2024)

type of funding: research projects