Research conducted in Germany in the humanities, cultural sciences and social sciences is highly regarded all over the world. It is strengthened by targeted funding provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and is always geared to current requirements.
The current BMBF Framework Programme "Understanding Society – Shaping the Future” strengthens the humanities and social sciences: It creates scope for researchers and for research into new subject areas, as well as for the development of powerful research data infrastructures. The humanities and social sciences, as explained in detail in Research, can thus provide a greater contribution to understanding social developments, accompany and promote social innovations, contribute to the development and preservation of cultural heritage and, for example, harmonise social diversity and cohesion.
Around 700 million euros are available for the framework programme until 2025. The aim is to preserve and expand the diversity and expertise that characterise Germany as a research location, to promote young scientists, to improve international competitiveness and to provide new impetus in science, in particular through innovative research based on needs-based research data infrastructures.
To ensure that academic findings are better directed to where they are needed, the current Framework Programme specially promotes the application orientation of research in the humanities and social sciences, whether by means of cooperation with partners in practice or via more intensive academic communication.
With its focus on research to tackle societal challenges, the current BMBF framework programme complements the High-Tech Strategy 2025 and the Federal Government's Future Strategy for Research and Innovation as well as the European Union's Horizon Europe research framework programme.
