Newsroom

From 11 to 13 June 2025, around 150 participants from over 30 countries are meeting in Hanover for the first of two foundation-funded theme weeks on '(Tackling) Loneliness'. The event brings together leading international scientists, practitioners, political decision-makers and civil society actors to shed light on the socially highly relevant topics of loneliness and social isolation in their many facets.

To be made sustainably fit for the future, public administrations must undergo a challenging digital transformation. But the AI required for this also harbours risks. A research project is developing a roadmap to greater transparency – with the help of a register.

What lessons can be learned from COVID-19 for future pandemics? Researcher Gülşah Gabriel and her team are opening the door to personalised medicine – and are investigating for the first time how drugs that intervene in hormone metabolism could in future be used to prevent severe viral progression.

Why does neurodegeneration research need new impetus - and how can interdisciplinarity help to achieve a breakthrough? Our Program Directors Dr Theresa Kratzsch and Dr Franziska Rönicke explain the vision behind the new 'NEXT – Rethink Neurodegeneration!' call.

How do democracies change in the face of global challenges? And what can science contribute to their resilience? Researchers and stakeholders outside of academia are to develop answers in cooperation projects funded by the Volkswagen Foundation for up to five years. Nora Kottmann and Cora Schaffert-Ziegenbalg present the programme.

From energy-intensive equipment and ventilation systems to consumables: scientific research laboratories consume a lot of energy and other resources. Chemist Prof. Dr Nico Bruns from TU Darmstadt explains why it pays to properly organise laboratories with the aim of achieving more sustainably.