A new funding initiative of the Volkswagen Foundation aims to promote the responsible development of artificial intelligence systems. Interdisciplinary research consortia in the social sciences and the engineering sciences can apply for up to 1.5 million euro for up to four years. Next deadlines for applications: July 5, 2018 and July 04, 2019.

Three of Europe's biggest philanthropic foundations have joined together to award 5 million euros to tackle some of the most pressing global challenges of our time: Wellcome Trust, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and Volkswagen Foundation have funded six research groups from across Europe to drive action through cross-border collaboration.

Nestling blue tits can discriminate between the smell of other nestlings and adapt their begging behaviour accordingly. This is the outcome of the latest study by Freigeist-Fellow Dr. Barbara Caspers and Dr. Peter Korsten from Bielefeld University.

Apply now: From August 13 to 21, 2017, the UNLEASH initiative brings together young talents from science, technology and business who are working on topics related to the SDGs of the United Nations. The Volkswagen Foundation is a partner of the initiative and supports young researchers who are funded by the Foundation.

Researchers from the Landesmuseum Hannover and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin have described a new genus and species among the ancestors of modern crocodiles. Knoetschkesuchus lived on an island in the Jurassic sea in the Harz foothills in Germany.