The exploration of exceptionally daring new ideas is not yet really a focal point of the research agenda in Germany, as far as facing challenges and radically transforming common wisdom are concerned. This often requires to establish counterintuitive hypotheses as well as unconventional methodologies or technologies, and to focus on entirely new research approaches. The Volkswagen Foundation’s funding initiative ‘Experiment!’ tries to pave the way for fundamentally new research topics even though the outcome may be contingent. A concept failure as well as unexpected findings are an acceptable result.
- Scope of Funding
The initiative addresses researchers in science and engineering as well as in the life sciences ***(including immediately neighboring disciplines in the behavioral sciences)***, who want to put a potentially transformative and risky research idea to the test. They are given the opportunity to demonstrate preliminary evidence for a concept’s potential during an exploratory phase which is limited to 18 months and up to 120,000 Euro. Towards the end of a grant the projects’ progress will be presented at the Foundation’s ‘Forum Experiment!’.
Deadline: 5 July 2017
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- Application: short application; anonymized jury selection plus lottery (test phase)
- Additional benefits: funding for communication of science and research
- How much: up to 120,000 Euro (flexible use)
- How long: up to 18 months
- Eligibility: postdoctoral researchers and professors in Germany, optionally international partners