Our Funding Portfolio

The Volkswagen Foundation is dedicated to the support of the humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology in higher education and research. It funds research projects in path-breaking areas and provides assistance to academic institutions for the improvement of the structural conditions for their work.
Funding portfolio
We focus our funding activities on selected initiatives. By means of these initiatives, we endeavor to provide effective stimuli for research and to establish forward-looking topics.
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Data Reuse – Additional Funding for the Preparation and Storage of Research Data (Open Science)
The funding offer aims at grantees of the Volkswagen Foundation, eligible are current projects and projects that have been funded approximately in the last 6 months.
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area of research: all
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funding for: preparation and storing of research data for its reuse
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Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change – Transdisciplinary Perspectives
The call addresses persons from science and (civil) society who are interested in transdisciplinary research and aim at jointly developing new perspectives on democratic forms of government under change.
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area of research: humanities, cultural and social sciences (lead); cooperation with natural, life, data and technical sciences possible
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type of funding: task forces, cooperation projects
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Perspectives on Wealth: The (Re-)Production of Wealth
The call is aimed at (inter-)national research groups, inter- and transdisciplinary teams are possible.
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area of research: Humanities, cultural and social sciences (lead); Cooperation with natural, life, data and technical sciences possible
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type of funding: cooperation projects (international/national; summer schools and workshops
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Theme Week on Ethics of Science: Ethical Dimensions of AI Research and AI in Research
Researchers at German universities and research institutions (all career stages after the doctorate) can apply with their symposium.
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area of research: humanities and social sciences
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funding for: organization of a scientific symposium within a theme week on ethics of science in August 2024
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Opus Magnum
The funding offer is aimed at outstanding professors from the humanities and social sciences.
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area of research: humanities, cultural studies and social sciences
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type of funding: funding of a substitute professorship
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Circularity with recycled and biogenic resources
The current call within the funding line 'Collaborative projects' of this initiative is primarily targeted at the natural sciences and engineering.
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area of research: natural sciences and engineering, if required social sciences
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type of funding: research projects
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Researching Research: Summer Schools & Workshops
The program addresses scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds working on questions or topics relating to research on research.
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area of research: disciplines conducting research on research
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type of funding: summer schools and workshops
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Momentum – Funding for Recently Tenured Professors
The funding offer is aimed at professors three to five years after taking up their first tenured professorship at a university in Germany.
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area of research: all disciplines
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type of funding: concepts for the broadening of perspectives
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