Newsroom

Mitchell G. Ash (Vienna) spoke about the transformation of research and universities since the Second World War and the possible fundamental impact of the current US politics on global academia on September 11th, 2025 in Hanover. See his lecture here.

A new RoRI study on the use of distributed peer review (DPR) at the Volkswagen Foundation shows how the review process can speed up funding decisions and make them more democratic.

Conflicts are often so deadlocked that constructive dialogue between the opposing sides is no longer possible. Instead, social media is used to fuel stereotypes and fake news. This breakdown in communication threatens democracy. The "Testimonial Lab" project explores new forms of communication that can restore dialogue.

What can be done to combat the shortage of skilled workers in the medical sector? How can drug resistance be curbed? And what might the healthcare systems of the future look like? These are just some of the questions being addressed by five newly funded research projects.

Five new collaborative projects will focus on how science develops in a world shaped by political demands, global networking and digital challenges. The Volkswagen Foundation is providing around €4.9 million in funding for these projects as part of its 'Researching Research' initiative.

Ukraine faces the challenge of rebuilding its economy. A new research project is investigating how its industrial heritage can be effectively leveraged to modernise the pharmaceutical industry and integrate it into the European market.