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.
We provide support in four profile areas
Funding portfolio
We support future-oriented topics with our funding offers.
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Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change – Transdisciplinary Perspectives
Learn moreThe 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
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type of funding: task forces, cooperation projects
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Theme Week "The (De)tabooing of Science and Research"
Learn moreResearchers at universities and research institutions in Germany, optionally with intl. co-applicants, can apply for a scientific symposium.
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area of research: humanities, cultural and social sciences, life, health and technical sciences
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funding for: organisation of a scientific event (Hannover, September 17–19, 2025)
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NEXT – Quantum Biology
Learn moreThe funding programme is aimed at interdisciplinary project teams; postdoctoral researchers and professors at universities and other research institutions in Germany can apply. International collaborations are possible.
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area of research: natural and life sciences
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funding for research projects
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Transdisciplinary Approaches to Mobility and Global Health
Learn moreThe 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
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funding for: international collaborative projects
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zukunft.niedersachsen: Research Cooperation Lower Saxony – Israel
Website zukunft.niedersachsen.deFunding is provided for scientifically outstanding projects conducted jointly by researchers from Israel and Lower Saxony.
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area of research: life sciences and medicine (call 2025)
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type of funding: research projects
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Scoping Workshops
Learn moreThe Volkswagen Foundation’s scoping workshops are for scientists who want to take a step beyond their current research activities and think about the future of their field of research.
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area of research: all disciplines
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type of funding: workshops at the conference center Xplanatorium Herrenhausen Palace, Hannover
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Momentum – Funding for Recently Tenured Professors
Learn moreThe funding offer is aimed at professors three to five years after taking up their first tenured professorship at a university in Germany.
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area of research: all disciplines
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type of funding: concepts for the broadening of perspectives
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Additional Funding for Science Communication
Learn moreThe offer is aimed at grantees currently receiving funding from the Volkswagen Foundation.
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all disciplines
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funding for: innovative measures for science communication
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