In 2021, the Volkswagen Foundation approved EUR 238.8 million for scientific projects. The most important figures, data and facts from our 2021 annual report.

Around 17 million euros for unusual, high-risk research projects: Thirteen scientists were able to convince in the assessment process and receive a Freigeist Fellowship, which offers them maximum freedom for their research.

In the following interview, Hanna Denecke, leader of the "Exploration" funding team, and Tobias Schönwitz, funding officer for the NEXT program, explain how we are paving the way for new topics and research methods under the NEXT funding framework.

The new Academic Freedom Index data is now available. The 2022 report shows that academic freedom has decreased substantially in many countries.

Neuroscientist Sarah McCann wants to improve the quality of biomedical research and make it more reproducible. The Volkswagen Foundation is funding her research as a pioneering project in the new profile area "Understanding Research – Evaluation and Science Practice".