Friends & Supporters
The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina maintains numerous co-operations in Germany and internationally. Providing joint advice to politics and society is just as much a goal as promoting dialogue between science, the media and the public.
Last edited: 05. December 2025
Commerzbank Foundation
The Commerzbank Foundation is a corporate foundation of the Commerzbank supporting projects in the fields of science, culture, and social affairs. The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Commerzbank Foundation have been jointly honoring young scientists with varoius Awards since 2001.
Fuerther Information
Since 2024, the Leopoldina and the Commerzbank Foundation have annually honored outstanding early-career researchers with the award “ZukunftsWissen – the Early Career Award of the Leopoldina and the Commerzbank Foundation.” The prize is endowed with €50,000 and is presented during the Leopoldina Annual Assembly.
The ZukunftsWissen Award replaced the Leopoldina Early Career Award, which was granted every two years and was supported by the Commerzbank Foundation with prize money of €30,000 between 2010 and 2022.
From 2001 to 2007, the Commerzbank Foundation supported the Leopoldina Research Award. This prize, endowed with €15,000, was awarded for outstanding achievements in a field represented by the Leopoldina.
Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation
The Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI) consists of 6 scientists who have specific expertise and experience in the field of innovation research. Their task is to provide scientific advice to the German government.
Since 2015, Stifterverband, the Leopoldina, and EFI have jointly organized the Research Summit with support from the Volkswagen Foundation. As an interdisciplinary forum, it promotes dialog and networking. The summit has brought stakeholders from science, business, civil society, and politics together annually since 2015 to discuss answers to current issues and challenges in research and innovation policy.
The EFI was founded in 2006 and regularly presents expert assessments on Germany's research, innovation, and technological performance. It bundles the interdisciplinary discourse related to innovation research of economics and social sciences, the economics of education, engineering and natural sciences, as well as technology foresight.
Halle Institute for Economic Research – Member of the Leibniz Association
The Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) – Member of the Leibniz Association is an institution for economic research and economic policy advice located in Halle (Saale). Since 2015, the IWH and the Leopoldina have been jointly hosting events where representatives from science, politics, and civil society discuss current issues.
Further Information
The range of topics spans from looking back on 25 years of German economic unity to dealing with populist currents and the resilience of the European Union's financial system to crises. Invited individuals should not only be distinguished in their respective fields of expertise but also participate in the public discourse with independent positions. Thus, the “Europe Debate” series launched in 2019 offers a forum for poignant statements and controversial debates of socio-political interest.
Founded in 1992, the IWH conducts evidence-based research by closely linking theoretical and empirical methods. The focus is on economic catch-up processes and the role of the financial system regarding the (re)allocation of production factors as well as the promotion of productivity and innovation.
Friends of the Leopoldina
The “Friends of the Leopoldina” is a registered association supporting and promoting the tasks and activities of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The Circle of Friends was founded in 2007 on the initiative of the Presidium of the Leopoldina. From 2007 to 2016, former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher (1927-2016), who was also an honorary senator of the Leopoldina, served as its patron.
Further Information
The members of the Circle of Friends facilitate a variety of projects with their donations and contributions. For example, the Johann Lorenz Bausch Fellowship, which is awarded annually to young scientists. Or the stained glass windows located at the staircase in the Leopoldina's main building in Halle (Saale), which were donated by the Circle of Friends in 2018. It was also made possible to restore numerous historical writings in the Leopoldina's archive.
Stifterverband for German Science
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.
Volkswagen Foundation
The Volkswagen Foundation is one of the largest private foundations promoting research in Germany and granting funds to scientific institutions. The National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Volkswagen Foundation have been cooperation partners since 2014, jointly organizing public Leopoldina Lectures and scientific workshops. Since 2015, Stifterverband, the Leopoldina, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the Expert Commission for Research and Innovation (EFI) have jointly organized the Research Summit.
Each year, the Leopoldina and the Volkswagen Foundation hold three public discussion evenings known as the Leopoldina Lectures in Herrenhausen. These events address science related questions with social relevance, in particular topics dealt with by active or completed Leopoldina work groups. Topics of past discussion evenings were, among others, vaccination, palliative care and early childhood socialization.
A second event series of workshops organized by the Leopoldina and the Volkswagen Foundation is entitled “Governance of Science: Strategies for the 21st Century”. In the first of these workshops, international experts discussed strategic issues surrounding science-based policy advice and the political parameters of science today. Topics of the second workshop in 2015 were the various methods of measuring scientific quality and their implications on the science system.
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.