As a joint initiative started by companies and foundations, Stifterverband is devoted entirely to consulting, networking, and promoting improvements in the fields of education, science, and innovation. Since 2009, Stifterverband has jointly awarded the Carl-Friedrich-von-Weizsäcker-Prize with the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. Since 2015, Stifterverband has also hosted the Research Summit as a joint initiative of the Leopoldina, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI).
The prize is endowed with €50,000 provided by Stifterverband. It is awarded every other year to scien-tists or research teams for their contribution to the scientific exploration of socially important chal-lenges. It is traditionally awarded during the Leopoldina Christmas Lecture.
The Leopoldina jointly organizes the Research Summit with the Stifterverband, the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI), and the Volkswagen Foundation. As an interdisciplinary forum, it promotes dialogue and networking. Since 2015, the summit has brought stakeholders from science, business, civil society, and politics together annually to discuss answers to current issues and challenges in research and innovation policy.