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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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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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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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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Open Up – New Research Spaces for the Humanities and Cultural Studies
Learn moreThe funding initiative addresses teams of two or three researchers who aim to explore new and original research spaces.
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area of research: humanities and cultural studies, theoretical social sciences
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type of funding: research projects; funding of a teaching substitute
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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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zukunft.niedersachsen: Lower Saxony Impulse Professorship
Website zukunft.niedersachsen.deThe "Lower Saxony Impulse Professorship" addresses academics approaching the end of their early career phase up to a maximum of ten years after completing their doctorate.
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area of research: all
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type of funding: additional equipment, if necessary a separate position
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