Funding for Workshops and Conferences
Organizing scientific and scholarly events is vital to the exchange of expertise and fostering University networks. Below is a useful overview of select programs that provide financial support if you want to organize a workshop or conference. We urge you to consider these options in the early planning stage.
The funding offers below are a selection. See also foundation data banks (e.g., Deutsches Stiftungszentrum (in German only), Stiftungsbüro Hamburg (in German only)), and professional associations for further possibilities.
German Research Foundation: international scientific events
Funding areas : all subject areas
Format : international conferences and annual conferences
Deadlines : at least 6 months before the event begins
German Research Foundation: establishing international cooperation
Funding areas : all subject areas
Format : preparatory workshops for projects
Deadlines : none/rolling
Claussen-Simon Foundation (in German only)
Funding areas : all subject areas
Format : conferences, retreats, lecture series, learning platforms, or mentoring
Deadlines : none/rolling
Hanse University Alliance
Funding areas : all subject areas
Format : work meetings to initiate research cooperation among Hanse University Alliance members (exploratory research, workshops, publications up to €5,000)
Deadlines : 30 June and 15 December
Volkswagen Foundation
Funding areas : all subject areas
Format : scoping workshops (3-day work meetings with up to 30 researchers)
Deadlines : see website
Daimler and Benz Foundation Ladenburg Roundtable
Funding areas : all subject areas
Format : workshops and conferences with up to 20 participants
Deadlines : none/rolling
Fritz Thyssen Foundation
Funding areas : history, language and culture, the state, the economy and society, medicine and the natural sciences
Format : academic events, especially smaller national and international conferences
Deadlines : 28 February; 31 May; 31 August; 30 November
Stiftung zur Förderung von Wissenschaft und Bildung (in German only)
Funding areas : economics, law, humanities, human sciences, nursing, and health care sciences
Format : events, conferences, seminars
Deadlines : none/rolling
Wuebben Foundation
Funding areas : all subject areas; annual topic 2026: bureaucracy
Format : 3-day sandpit event including workshop to document results (€50,000)
Deadlines : see website
Landeszentrale für politische Bildung
Funding areas : political education
Format : events or projects related to political education (see funding guidelines)
Deadlines : Applications must be submitted for the following half-year; at the latest 4 weeks before the project begins.
German Foundation for Peace Research (in German only)
Funding areas : peace and conflict research
Format : scientific workshops with a maximum funding amount of €10,000; international scientific conferences with a funding amount of up to €20,000
Deadlines : none/rolling
Wilhelm and Else Heraeus Foundation
Funding areas : physics
Format : workshops, conferences, and seminars
Deadlines : see website
CMS Stiftung (in German only)
Funding areas : law / volunteer legal advice
Format: workshops to support and widely provide volunteer legal advice
Deadlines : none/rolling