Volkswagen Foundation — Pioneering Research

Funds important, high-risk research aiming for major scientific breakthroughs across all disciplines. Short proposals evaluated by distributed peer review; selected projects invited to full proposal.

Lead applicants are postdoctoral researchers and professors at German universities/research institutes; international collaborations (including with UNIMA) are possible, so UNIMA typically joins via a German partner.

- Investigator-led, no prescribed priority topics this round
- proposals welcomed across the scope above (confirm on the call page)

Two-stage: anonymous short proposal by 27 August 2026 (14:00), reviewed by Distributed Peer Review; invited full applications in early 2027.