145 million euros for future-oriented research

On 22 November, the Volkswagen Foundation’s Board of Trustees confirmed a corresponding proposal for the use of funds put forward by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture. The year 2024 thus closes with a record funding amount: a total of 618.7 million euros was approved to contribute towards the strategic development of the state of Lower Saxony in Northern Germany as a centre of science and research.

Here is a brief description of four projects from the latest round of grant approvals:

Hydrogen for an emission-free future

The “Salzgitter Hydrogen Campus” is a joint project with the participation of regional companies, research institutions, and the city of Salzgitter. In future, hydrogen technologies along the entire value chain – from production to actual use – will be developed here, with associated offers of further training to meet the demand for highly skilled specialists. The accompanying academic research is being conducted by the “Hydrogen Campus Salzgitter Innovation Network” and is funded with 2.5 million euros.

AI talent for Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony wants to open up attractive career opportunities for early career AI researchers. The aim is to be ahead in the competition for the best minds. The green light has now been given for a new call with the title “GenerAltioN – Young AI talent for Lower Saxony (GAIN)”. It will start shortly and is specifically aimed at early career researchers in the fields of developing and testing AI-supported analysis methods for data-intensive branches of research. In addition, there will also be possibilities for doctoral studies. 11 million has been earmarked for the first phase of the call. Detailed information will be available on the zukunft.niedersachsen website at the beginning of 2025.

Preserving coasts and seas

The North Sea is not only a unique natural attraction, but also an important factor for Lower Saxony’s economy. In order to preserve this valuable resource, the German Marine Research Alliance [Deutsche Allianz für Meeresforschung (DAM)] is developing corresponding sustainable concepts for utilisation. One focus of the research is the management of extreme marine events, which are increasing in number and risk potential due to climate change. DAM is receiving 750,000 euros in funding this year. In order to be able to fund a second phase of DAM, initially until 2028, following a successful evaluation a total of 3 million euros will be provided as Lower Saxony’s share.

Lower Saxony international

A further objective is to support Lower Saxony in the area of promoting scientific exchange and to benefit from international expertise through partnerships across national borders. With this aim in mind, scientific cooperation with Scotland is now being intensified, for example by promoting ongoing or planned Lower Saxony-Scottish research collaborations. Lower Saxony is also to become even more attractive for international students and researchers. 5 million euros are being made available to fund pilot projects for student recruitment and providing support during studies to cement academic accomplishment.

“It’s not just the amount of funding that is decisive,” explains Lower Saxony’s Science Minister Falko Mohrs. “We are specifically targeting the fields of science that will make life better for people in Lower Saxony in the foreseeable future. Our proposal is that the funds are to be invested in specifically designed projects as well as in the scientific infrastructure of our state. One example of this is the Salzgitter Hydrogen Campus. Here, expertise from research, industry and regional policy-makers is coming together to further develop the emission-free use of hydrogen to market maturity.”

The Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, Dr Georg Schütte, adds: “Cooperation across Lower Saxony’s borders is essential in order to meet future challenges. That is why we are intensifying our cooperation with Scotland with joint research projects between universities in Lower Saxony and Scotland. At the same time, we also want to become an even more attractive study location for students and researchers from Scotland.”