Volkswagen Foundation is a Germany-based independent research funder supporting science, technology, humanities and social sciences through competitive grants in Germany and abroad.
To strengthen research and higher education by funding science and technology, including humanities, social sciences, natural, life and technical sciences, while supporting high-quality, future-oriented academic work.
Volkswagen Foundation was established in Hanover in 1962 after a 1961 agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Lower Saxony. The agreement converted Volkswagenwerk GmbH into a stock corporation and used proceeds from the public offering to establish an independent, charitable foundation under civil law. The foundation was endowed with one billion deutschmarks and is not a corporate foundation or an affiliate of the Volkswagen automobile manufacturer.
Volkswagen Foundation funds academic research through defined initiatives within its current funding portfolio. Its approach emphasizes new ideas, willingness to fund higher-risk research, cross-border and interdisciplinary work, and structural impact in research and higher education. Applications are normally assessed through formal screening and peer review; expert recommendations inform decisions by the CEO and Board of Trustees. Eligibility and requirements vary by call, with applications submitted online through the foundation’s funding platform.
Founded in 1962, Volkswagen Foundation has become one of Germany’s largest foundations and a major private funder of academic research. In 2024, it approved €728.8M for research and teaching, including major funding through zukunft.niedersachsen. Its long-term contribution includes support for interdisciplinary, international and structurally oriented research.
Key collaborations include the State of Lower Saxony and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science through zukunft.niedersachsen. The foundation also works with external peer reviewers in Germany and abroad, and partnered with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research on impact monitoring.
The foundation states that it is not affiliated with the Volkswagen automobile manufacturer, despite its name. Its funding is supported by capital investment income and profit entitlements on 30.2 million Volkswagen trust shares held by the State of Lower Saxony. Its asset management considers ESG criteria for equity and bond portfolios while preserving the statutory mandate to invest assets profitably. A revised statute has been in effect since March 2025, anchoring the CEO role and positioning the Board of Trustees as the supervisory and control body; an Executive Board of at least two people is planned from 1 January 2028. The foundation also launched a new digital funding administration system around 2024/25 for applications, project outlines, cost projections and future reporting.