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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Currently no application possible

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.

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No open call

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

funding for: 1-2 junior professorships with tenure track per University location
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
next deadline is expected in 2025

Pioneer Projects – Impetus for the German Research System

The 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.

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area of research: all disciplines

up to 500,000 Euro
Next deadline is expected in autumn 2024

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

type of funding: research projects