Daimler und Benz Stiftung - current

Research Forum
Call for proposals for "Forum Research" project funding

The “Research Forum” funding line brings together projects from the Daimler and Benz Foundation characterized by scientific originality, social relevance, and a clearly manageable scope ” with an overall sum of up to € 150,000.

Bertha Benz Prize 2025
Hatice Ceren Ates received award for her dissertation

The Bertha Benz Prize, endowed with €15,000, was presented to Dr.-Ing. Hatice Ceren Ates from the Technical University of Munich on July 24, 2025. She has developed a biosensor that can detect antibiotic levels in the breath, enabling individualized therapies.

Bertha Benz Lecture 2025
From bird flight to fryer grease: The future of flight

Dr. Sabine Klauke, Airbus, Chief Technology Officer and Member of the Executive Board, gave this year's Bertha Benz Lecture on Juli 24, 2025. The Bertha Benz Prize 2025 was awarded afterwards.

Scholarship program
Postdoctoral scholarship program for 2026

Applications for scholarships are open until 1 October 2025 via the online application portal.

Moments for Research
Learning mechanisms of children

In his lecture, Sebastian Frank will give an insight into his current research.

Miscellanea
Georgia Chalvatzaki received the Alfried Krupp Award 2025

This year's Alfried Krupp Award goes to computer scientist Prof. Dr. Georgia Chalvatzaki from the University of Darmstadt. From 2022 to 2024, the robotics researcher has already received funding as part of the Daimler and Benz Foundation's scholarship program for junior professors and postdocs.

$Math, how awful! How fractions can perhaps be taught better$

Press Release
Math, how awful! How fractions can perhaps be taught better

Pupils learn fractions in sixth grade math lessons, however, this subject matter is extremely challenging, as it is the first time they have had to break with their previous knowledge of natural numbers. In the research project "Motivated Action in Learning Fractions with Digital Tools", mathematics didactics expert Frank Reinhold investigated the extent to which digital methods can make learning easier.

Press Release
"Science Streets" – How comics are used to explain neuroscience

The winner of the "Innovative science communication" competition held at the beginning of 2025 is doctoral student Agata Patyczek from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences. In 2026, comics on the subject of neuroscience will be hanging in Leipzig city center and will be accessible to the general public in an understandable form.

Dialog in the Museum
Luxury and beauty

A lecture by Prof. Dr. Lambert Wiesing, Lehrstuhl für Bildtheorie und Phänomenologie, Institut für Philosophie, Universität Jena. The talk is available as a vidoepodcast here.

Publications
Annual Report 2024

The Foundation is pleased to present the Annual Report for the year 2024 with an overview of our research funding as well as the Foundation's other activities.

Ladenburg Roundtable
Light for health and well-being: Global campaign launched

“Light for public health” is the name of the global initiative to be launched on May 16, 2025, the UNESCO International Day of Light. The campaign arose from the Ladenburg Roundtable of the Daimler and Benz Foundation.

Ladenburg Roundtable
Is it essential to choose between mental health and maintaining the credibility of a statement in court?

Many people are exposed to potentially traumatic occurrences over the course of their lives – for example acts of violence, sexual assault, or muggings. Some people affected then develop a trauma disorder in the form of an acute stress reaction or ...

Ladenburg Roundtable
“Ladenburg Roundtable” conference format

With its “Ladenburg Roundtable” conference format, the Daimler and Benz Foundation offers a free space for interdisciplinary reflection on research topics of scientific and social relevance. The roundtables are open to all disciplines.

Moments for Research
Brain organoids of the common marmoset: A possible alternative to animal testing in brain research?

In his lecture, Michael Heide, will give an insight into current brain researc

Scholarship program
Our new scholarship holders

The Daimler and Benz Foundation presents the twelve scholarship holders of the scholarship program for postdocs 2025.

Ladenburg Roundtable
Industrial espionage and spying on competitors

The incidence of industrial espionage and spying on competitors has been steadily increasing since the 1990s. This affects not only large corporations, but also small and medium-sized companies and research institutions.

Ladenburg Research Networks
Artificial intelligence in the judicial system

A new research network is investigating the opportunities provided to the legal system by modern software technologies. The scientific focus is on the application of so-called large language models.