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.
Funding portfolio
We support future-oriented topics with our funding offers.
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Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change – Transdisciplinary Perspectives
The call addresses persons from science together with actors outside of academia 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, collaborative projects
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Researching Research: Summer Schools & Workshops
The program addresses scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds working on questions or topics relating to research on research.
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area of research: disciplines conducting research on research
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type of funding: summer schools and workshops
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Opus Magnum
The funding offer is aimed at outstanding professors from the humanities and social sciences.
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area of research: humanities, cultural studies and social sciences
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type of funding: funding of a substitute professorship
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Pioneering Research – Exploring the Unknown Unknown
The funding offer addresses outstanding post-doctoral researchers and professors universities and research institutes in Germany, international cooperation partners are possible.
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area of research: all disciplines
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up to 1.3 million Euro
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Circularity with recycled and biogenic resources
The current call within the funding line 'Collaborative projects' of this initiative is primarily targeted at the natural sciences and engineering.
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area of research: natural sciences and engineering, if required social sciences
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type of funding: research projects
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Perspectives on Wealth: Repercussions of Wealth
The call is aimed at (inter-)national research consortia, collaborations with partners from LMICs are preferable, transdisciplinary consortia possible.
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area of research: Humanities, cultural and social sciences, economics (lead); cooperations with natural, life, data and technical science possible
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type of funding: (inter-)national cooperation projects with up to five partners
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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
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type of funding: research projects | current call: 'Political influences on epistemic practice'
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Data Reuse – Additional Funding for the Preparation and Storage of Research Data (Open Science)
The funding offer aims at grantees of the Volkswagen Foundation, eligible are current projects and projects that have been funded approximately in the last 6 months.
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area of research: all
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funding for: preparation and storing of research data for its reuse
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