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News 21 September 2021

Afghanistan: Special funding for refugee researchers

With special funding, the Volkswagen Foundation offers researchers who have fled Afghanistan the chance to continue their work in Germany. This is made possible by additional funds for funded projects and further fellowships at the Academy in Exile. A total of up to 2.9 million euros will be available for this purpose.

Interview 24 August 2021

Science Communication: "The right call at the right time"

With 15 million euros, the Foundation is funding four centers for science of science communication. An interview about qualification criteria and the contribution to a highly topical field of research.

News 02 August 2021

Volkswagen Foundation Grants 10.6 Million Euros for Eight "Challenges for Europe" Projects

As nationalist forces increasingly strain Europe's cohesion, the "Challenges for Europe" funding initiative brings together partner research institutions from East and West. The variety of topics in this open call for proposals is great: It ranges from AI-assisted asylum policy and civil movements to strategies against social polarization.

Interview 21 July 2021

Making science crisis-proof

What lessons can be learnt from the pandemic? How must research and the science system change to become more resilient? Professor Johannes Schöning and Dr. Georg Schütte exchanged ideas about possible solutions. 

News 13 July 2021

Preventing pandemics: New funding initiative initiated

How can viruses be prevented from being transmitted from animals to humans and thus triggering the next pandemic? With its new funding initiative, the Volkswagen Foundation is supporting researchers who are looking for answers to this complex question.

News 05 July 2021

Cultural heritage: What yesterday teaches us for tomorrow

Together, the Foundation Compagnia di San Paolo, the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and the Volkswagen Foundation are funding eight international projects in the field of tension between "heritage and change".

Eine Frau, die aufmerksam zuhört
Story 06 March 2025

So that everyone can have their say: Citizens' assembly on AI research

Rhetoric expert Anika Kaiser researches how people can make themselves heard on the major issues of our time – artificial intelligence (AI) being a case in point. She is the right person to take care that this grassroots democratic process does not remain too detached from reality: in her first life, she trained as a painter.

Frauen mit Kopftüchern sitzen an Tischen und haben Steinblöcke mit Inschriften vor sich liegen, die sie betrachten.
Story 26 February 2025

Archaeology as reconstruction: Ancient Near Eastern Studies in Mosul

He came to Mosul with the task of excavating ancient Nineveh. In the meantime, however, the mission of the ancient orientalist Stefan Maul goes far beyond this: he is rebuilding the study of antiquity in Iraq. And he is teaching the people what the Islamists robbed them of: pride in their cultural heritage.