Funding

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Relying on the traditional means of visual
communication: "The Unbeatable Master"
hairdresser's in Bamenda uses hand-painted
pictures to advertise his services.
the old home and the new. “In these transnational spaces, new processes
of negotiation are acted out that have a political impact”, explains Professor
Förster further. There are no longer any simple national templates on which
to build identities and cultures – neither in Europe, nor in Africa.
Sometimes it is the more mundane matters that prove more difficult than
the complex research structures of the joint project. Butake, for instance,
bemoans that “It is easier to fly from South Africa to Cameroon than from
Nigeria, although we are neighboring countries”. In both countries the infrastructure
is still inadequate. “That is why we selected the project participants
with a view to their organizational ‘talent’ as well”, he chuckles. The ambitious
aim to support young researchers – in particular the ten PhD students
participating in the project – and to boost scientific networks in Africa will
certainly not founder due to lack of improvisation.
Ruth Kuntz-Brunner
Knowledge for Tomorrow: The Foundation’s Africa Initiative
In 2003 the Volkswagen Foundation started the
funding initiative for cooperative research projects
in sub-Saharan Africa. This thematically open
funding offer centers on building research competence
in Africa and providing sustainable support
for its reinforcement in the long term. An important
focus of the initiative is on opening up career
perspectives for young researchers in the region.
To this end, successful PhD candidates from the
first funding stage are offered further support in
a second stage via post-doc programs. In a third
and final stage, they may even be able to continue
their research as group leaders – provided they
successfully pass through an international process
of evaluation. Up to now the Foundation’s Africa
Initiative has provided funding primarily for re -
search projects, which are developed in close co op -
eration between African and German re search ers.
However, several workshops, symposia and summer
schools have also been supported.
It is important for the Foundation that the research
projects are conceived and carried out in symmetrical
North-South partnerships. To promote this
aim, prior to each call for project proposals the
Foundation organized accordant thematic workshops
in Africa – with major participation on the
part of African researchers.
Within the scheme “Negotiating Culture in Contem -
porary African Societies”, funding was approved
for the two aforementioned pro jects. This engagement
in the field of cultural studies is the Foundation’s
sixth sub-program within its Africa Initiative.
It is particularly noteworthy because it helps
to differentiate the view of a continent that is otherwise
mainly in focus due to its pressing economic
and political problems.
Since 2008 the Foundation has also been participating
in a collaborative effort involving four other
European funding organizations to support
research on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
So far within this program, funding has been allocated
for 17 fellowships to post-docs and PhD students
in a total amount of 2.2 m euros. The parti -
cipating foundations are: Fondazione Cariplo in
Italy, Fundação Gulbenkian in Portugal, the British
Nuffield Foundation and Fondation Merieux in
France. cj