The Volkswagen Foundation is Germany's largest private, non-profit organization engaged in the promotion and support of academic research. Even though its name might suggest otherwise, it is not a corporate foundation and not affiliated to the Volkswagen automobile manufacturer. The purpose of the Foundation is the promotion of science and technology in research and higher education. The Foundation's funding programs address projects in the humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology in higher education and research – both in Germany and abroad. The Foundation’s administrative office is located in Hanover. The Foundation capital amounts to 3.4 billion euros. In 2021, almost 240 million euros were approved for scientific projects. More information can be found on our website: www.volkswagenstiftung.de/en

The European XFEL in Schenefeld near Hamburg is a cutting-edge research facility and was inaugurated in summer 2017. The European XFEL´s technology can be used to take three-dimensional images of the nanocosmos, film chemical processes and elucidate molecular structures, for instance in biomolecules, viruses, and cells – all with a previously inconceivable brilliance. The Volkswagen Foundation launched a funding initiative in 2010 – the Peter Paul Ewald Fellowships – to prepare the next generation of scientists for application of this groundbreaking technology.

At the Institute for Theoretical Physics of Leibniz Universität Hannover, junior scientist Dr. Hendrik Weimer has focused his research on quantum technology. He creates models that help manage the enormous complexity of quantum physics. Based on these, he develops experiments that put theoretical ideas, like quantum computers, into practice. The areas of application include high-precision measurement techniques, or the simulation of material properties.

VolkswagenStiftung supports his endeavours with a “Freigeist” fellowship worth 900,000 Euro.  This funding program is directed toward outstanding junior scientists who address extraordinary scientific issues

More and more people live in large conurbations. The international symposium “Let´s Walk Urban Landscapes” therefore explores new and unconventional approaches to how urban living spaces are perceived, and as a further step, how to plan them.  The research team’s endeavours are supported by VolkswagenStiftung’s “Symposia and Summer Schools” funding initiative.