Postdoctoral grants by Volkswagen Foundation,

Volkswagen Foundation opens postdoctoral grant for junior researchers in all disciplines: The ‘Freigeist’ initiative is directed toward enthusiastic and charismatic scientists and scholars with an outstanding record: through a highly flexible funding scheme junior researchers are given the opportunity to enjoy maximum freedom in their early scientific career.

A ‘Freigeist’ fellow: for the Volkswagen Foundation this means a young researcher with a strong personality, a creative mind, an ability to identify and use freedom, dedicated to overcoming resistance. If necessary, he or she will be a free spirit, enjoying the unexpected, even unexpected difficulties.

Quick Overview———–
Organization	Volkswagen Foundation
Fellowship Level	Postdoc
Country	Germany
Subject areas	All Disciplines
Fellowship amount	–
Eligibility	Open worldwide
Deadline	Deadline: October 13, 2016 October 12, 2017

About the Organization: The Volkswagen Foundation (Volkswagenstiftung) is a German private nonprofit organization for the promotional of research and education in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. It was established in 1961 as Stiftung Volkswagenwerk with a portion of the confiscated assets of the Volkswagenwerk GmbH. It is not affiliated to the present company, the Volkswagen Group It has a capital of 2.6 billion euros, as of 2013, the largest of any German scientific foundation. Since its founding, it has distributed 4 billion Euros in grants, and now funds new projects at the rate of 100 million Euros per year.

A ‘Freigeist’ fellow opens up new horizons and combines critical analysis with imagination and innovative solutions. By thinking ahead the ‘Freigeist’ fellow will act as a catalyst in overcoming existing disciplinary, institutional and even national boundaries.

Scope of Funding: The ‘Freigeist’ scheme is deliberately left open to all disciplines and topics. The main focus is on junior researchers (up to 5 years of postdoctoral experience) working at the borders of neighbouring fields or disciplines. The ‘Freigeist’ initiative offers freedom for creative thinking, whilst at the same time providing security for at least 5 years and in the long run the opportunity to establish a career within a scientific research organization or university in Germany. The initiative even incorporates the possibility to apply for additional components during the funding period (e.g. funding of staff positions, travel expenses etc.).

Details of conditions and the application procedure can be found under Information for Applicants. Applications must be filed electronically via the application portal.

Eligibility: Anyone can apply who identifies with the goals of a ‘Freigeist’ Fellowship. Candidates must, however, conform to the following conditions:

Their doctorate must have been obtained not longer than five years previously.
The Fellowship must from the outset be integrated within a university or an extra-mural research institution in Germany.
Candidates must already have changed their academic environment and moved to a new location – at the latest when starting the Fellowship. A return to the working context of the doctorate will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances.
A previously completed research sojourn abroad, at the latest integrated in the proposed research project.