As nationalist forces increasingly strain Europe's cohesion, the "Challenges for Europe" funding initiative brings together partner research institutions from East and West. The variety of topics in this open call for proposals is great: It ranges from AI-assisted asylum policy and civil movements to strategies against social polarization.

What lessons can be learnt from the pandemic? How must research and the science system change to become more resilient? Professor Johannes Schöning and Dr. Georg Schütte exchanged ideas about possible solutions. 

How can viruses be prevented from being transmitted from animals to humans and thus triggering the next pandemic? With its new funding initiative, the Volkswagen Foundation is supporting researchers who are looking for answers to this complex question.

Together, the Foundation Compagnia di San Paolo, the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond and the Volkswagen Foundation are funding eight international projects in the field of tension between "heritage and change".

How does science communication work? Which conditions are supportive? In order to sustainably advance research on science communication in Germany, the Foundation is funding four consortia with 15 million euros.

The Volkswagen Foundation approved EUR 248.5 million for scientific projects in the 2020 Corona year. The foundation's assets are almost unchanged at EUR 3.55 billion. Here you will find the most important figures, data and facts from our 2020 annual report.