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News 15 November 2023

Ukraine aid: "A project for the post-war future"

The Volkswagen Foundation is funding the virtual Ukraine Institute for Advanced Study with almost one million euros. The opening and the first conference have now taken place in Berlin.

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Funding Offer 06 November 2023

"Momentum" initiative provides funding for recently tenured professors

The Volkswagen Foundation supports professors three to five years after taking up their first tenured professorship at a university in Germany.  Next deadline for application is April 28, 2025.

Portrait of a man in front of a dark background
Story 11 September 2023

New climate models for reliable future scenarios

Climate researcher Niklas Boers works on optimizing climate models with the aim to improve predictions about extreme weather events and potential tipping points in the Earth system – out of a deep sense of responsibility for future generations.

Funding Offer 23 August 2023

Theme Week on Ethics of Science

The Volkswagen Foundation was hosting a "Theme Week on Ethics of Science: Ethical Dimensions of AI Research and AI in Research" from August 07 to 09, 2024. It invited applications for scientific symposia that address the nexus of artificial intelligence and scientific research from an ethical perspective. 

Photo from inside a greenhouse
Story 22 August 2023

A protected space for creative and surprising thoughts

What makes a life with science so special, and what framework conditions must be in place to make it possible for universities as our high-performance academic institutions to offer opportunities and fulfillment? A conversation between Enrico Schleiff, President of Goethe University Frankfurt, and the Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, Georg Schütte – moderated by Christine Prußky.

Eine Frau und ein Mädchen laufen vor einem Mann und einem Jugendlichen durch einen Wald.
Story 16 August 2023

Biodiversity - A family of researchers

In the very large thematic area of biodiversity, Joachim Haug works on very small objects: insect and crustacean larvae. His wife is also an enthusiastic zoologist. So, it's hardly surprising that the passion for research also took hold of their two children at an early age.

Stories

Portrait eines Mannes
Story 09 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.

Eine Illustration einer Person mit Handy, die schlangenhaft von Social media Beiträgen angegriffen wird. Eine Person, die einen protesteanten interviewt. Die Karte von Deutschland, aus der schwarz-rot-goldene Tropfen heraustropfen.
Story 22 May 2025

What fascinates young people about the far right?

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.