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viele nach oben gestreckte Daumen
Interview 12 February 2024

Volkswagen Foundation experiments with new peer review method

In the funding initiative "Open Up – New Research Spaces for the Humanities and Cultural Studies", the foundation is testing a new review process: "Distributed Peer Review". Dr. Hanna Denecke, team leader in the "Exploration" profile area, explains the experiment.

Funding Offer 26 January 2024

zukunft.niedersachsen: Innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to combat rare diseases (completed)

The new funding offer within the framework of zukunft.niedersachsen is aimed at professors and postdocs at universities and non-university research institutions in Lower Saxony. Funding is available for collaborative and individual projects on innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to combat rare diseases.

Illustration mit einem alten Mann und einer jungen Frau
Funding Offer 12 December 2023

Challenges and Potentials for Europe: Intergenerational Futures (completed)

The call "Challenges and Potentials for Europe: Intergenerational Futures" is aimed at international research groups from the social sciences, cultural studies and humanities. Call is closed

Frau schaut von historischer Bahnbrücke in die Ferne
Story 05 December 2023

Happy ending or apocalypse?

Narratives can either drive or discourage people. Transformation researcher Karoline Augenstein is convinced of this. She wants to find out how narratives of the future can impact on the way it is shaped.

Illustration of university life and business life side by side
Story 02 December 2023

Professorship? Not necessarily...

Ines Drefs is fascinated by research – and most of all by the topic of media development assistance. A new position at the interface of science and practice came just in time.

Woman on stage speaking into a microphone
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.

Stories

Foto einer einzelnen Manganknolle
Story 15 July 2026

Manganese Nodules and Microorganisms: Life Fuelled by Radioactivity?

Radioactivity is generally considered harmful to life. Yet in manganese nodules in the deep sea, microorganisms might benefit from it. Or even live off it? This is the intriguing hypothesis that geoscientist Walter Geibert hopes to prove.

Illustration, die eine Person mit EEG-Haube zeigt, die auf dem Kopf steht.
Story 08 July 2026

Basic Research: Exploring the unknown

What happens in the brain when we are confronted with completely unknown things and situations? At TU Dresden, Christian Beste is researching what is known as the "unknown unknown". To do so, he is turning science on its head.

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