In the following interview, Hanna Denecke, leader of the "Exploration" funding team, and Tobias Schönwitz, funding officer for the NEXT program, explain how we are paving the way for new topics and research methods under the NEXT funding framework.
Quality in preclinical research: Networked rather than alone
Neuroscientist Sarah McCann wants to improve the quality of biomedical research and make it more reproducible. The Volkswagen Foundation is funding her research as a pioneering project in the new profile area "Understanding Research – Evaluation and Science Practice".
Promote Free Scientific Exchange: Yehudit and Yehuda Elkana Fellowships
There is less and less free space for scientifically controversial discussions. The Yehudit and Yehuda Elkana Fellowship Program wants to create this space for scientists.
Climate change: "It’s absolutely vital to act now"
Freigeist Fellow Niklas Boers develops novel prediction models for the earth and climate system. In this interview, he explains what findings they are already delivering - and what should be concluded from them.
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Stories
Story09 July 2025
How does working with AI impact on research?
As a tool of science, artificial intelligence entails numerous risks, opportunities, and ambivalences. These need to be identified and classified. However, there is no revolution in sight, according to Jens Schröter.
Hostility towards democracy is on the rise in Germany. Yet politicians and academics pay little attention to the attitudes of a particularly important group: young voters. An interdisciplinary project in eastern Germany is determined to change that.
