14.01.2026 Wübben Foundation – Sandpit: “Understanding, shaping, and transforming bureaucracy”
Application deadline: March 31, 2026
The Wübben Foundation's Sandpit Program is aimed at researchers from all disciplines who want to develop new approaches, questions, and collaborations outside of established funding channels. In this innovative format, scientists work together in interdisciplinary teams—deliberately in unfamiliar constellations—over three days to develop creative project ideas with high social and scientific potential.
Researchers who have already completed their doctorates and are employed at a German university are eligible to apply. The Sandpit workshops specifically promote collaborations between people who have not yet worked together or published together, and require a high degree of teamwork, openness, and creativity.
The overarching theme for 2026 is “Understanding, shaping, and transforming bureaucracy”—an invitation to reflect on and rethink bureaucratic processes in government, society, business, and science from an interdisciplinary perspective.
The Wübben Foundation is providing €50,000 to hold a three-day sandpit event, including a workshop to prepare a report on the results. The funds can be used flexibly for travel, event, or organizational costs.
Further information on submitting an application can be found on the Wübben Foundation website.