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Cover des Jahresberichts 2019
Publication of the Foundation 26 June 2020

Annual Report 2019 (in German)

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News 26 June 2020

Annual Report 2019 – an overview

Record year: With a total of 253.2 million euros, the Volkswagen Foundation has approved more funding in 2019 than ever before.

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News 22 June 2020

About ants and water filters - video on nanotechnologies

Entertaining and informative: The young South African scientist Dr. Anita Etale explains the benefits of nanotechnologies.

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Menschen in Bangladesh auf der Straße
Story 17 June 2020

Responsibility – following the Rana Plaza disaster

Since the collapse of the Rana Plaza textile factory, occupational safety in Bangladesh has improved – according to the results of a Foundation-funded study. But what will remain if the politicians don't keep at it?  

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Story 12 June 2020

Sentencing with the aid of algorithms

Many courts in the USA use software to assess the risk of recidivism of defendants. Should AI also be used in the German judicial system? An interdisciplinary research group is now seeking answers to the provocative issues raised in this context.

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Interview 08 June 2020

How the corona crisis reveals the balance of power in medicine

Freigeist Fellow Dr. Tine Hanrieder talks about how the pandemic is impacting on her research – and what she would like to see happen for people working on the front lines of global health care.

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Illustration, die zwei Hände zeigt, die einen Vorhang öffnen
Basic research
Grafik mit jungen Menschen, die politische Botschaften auf einer Demonstration von sich geben.
Democracy and Science
Bach vor einzelnen Häusern in weiter Landschaft, im Hintergrund hohe Berge
Global Engagement
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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.

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Satellitenansicht der Innertropischen Konvergenzzone
Story 09 June 2026

Climate Research Using Old Ship’s Logs: the Wind Leaves no Trace on the Sea

Did a volcanic eruption in 1783 shift the tropical rain belt? Old ship’s logs could provide the answer – and also shed light on the future climate for millions of people living around the equator.

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