Is it such a good idea for researchers to collaborate with stakeholders from outside the academic community? A discussion on the risks and opportunities of transdisciplinary research that took place between Berlin-based mobility researcher Sophia Becker and Henrike Hartmann, Deputy Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, moderated by science journalist Christine Prußky.

The Volkswagen Foundation's "Distributed Peer Review" experiment is well received by applicants, as a survey by the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) shows.

Reaching funding decisions by drawing lots? Although that might sound a little dubious, it is not. This is proven by a scientifically monitored experiment carried out by the Volkswagen Foundation, which concludes that a partially randomized selection procedure following the scientific reviews brings more diversity into the pool of grantees. The researchers asked by the Foundation to monitor the procedure arrive at some interesting insights in their overall assessment.

Physicist Bianca Lim is responsible for strategic planning at the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hamelin, keeping research "at the cutting edge". She wants to help bring the production of solar modules back to Germany.

The new call for proposals for "Pioneering Research - Exploring the Unknown Unknown" offers higher funding amounts and longer funding periods. Pavel Dutow and Theresa Greupner explain what has changed and who can apply. Application deadline for the program is Sept. 3, 2024.

Together with Falling Walls Female Science Talents and other partners, we announce this year’s Women’s Impact Award, which is part of the Falling Walls Global Call, open until 1 May 2024.