Would you like to develop creative, extraordinary, and forward-looking projects in interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary groups? Apply for our sandpit workshop in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, and computer science.
Here you can explore a topic in depth and develop new perspectives, methods, or projects for your questions. Develop visionary ideas and refine them in a moderated reflection process—in the spirit of a creative, open-ended space for thinking. You can expect an inspiring environment on the outskirts of Heidelberg and professional support from an external moderator.
Overview of the contents of the short application to be submitted via the new application portal
1. Main applicant
Name, address, and position of the responsible contact person
2. Information about the sandpit
- Title of the sandpit
- Please briefly describe the topic. Please explain its relevance to the disciplines involved and describe the interdisciplinary nature of your sandpit (max. 1000 characters).
- Please tell us the proposed duration of the sandpit and outline a preliminary draft agenda for your sandpit: Typically, these take place from lunch to lunch with one or two overnight stays to facilitate easy travel to Heidelberg (max. 700 characters).
- Please provide us with a list of preferred, acceptable, and unsuitable days or weeks for your sandpit from September 2026 to April 2027 (max. 200 characters).
- Please provide the names, affiliations, addresses, and positions of a small organizational team that will ensure the breadth of content and diversity of participants (max. 700 characters).
- Please provide a list of names of potential participants, including their affiliations and areas of expertise. To facilitate open and productive discussions, we recommend a group of approximately 14-18 participants (max. 1500 characters).
How we work with you to design the sandpit workshop
Your sandpit workshop usually takes place over one or two days in the conference rooms of Villa Bosch in Heidelberg. The aim is to develop new interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approaches together in an interactive, moderated format. Your topic must be related to natural sciences, mathematics, or computer science and be in the field of research, education, or science communication. The main applicant must be employed at an institution in Germany, and participants should have their institutional focus in the EU area. Our format is particularly suitable for initiating new collaborations and designing innovative projects in early stages of development.
The Klaus Tschira Foundation covers the event costs (economy class travel, accommodation, meals, etc.) within a specified budget. We organize the workshop on site and take care of hotel accommodation. We also provide an external moderator who will accompany you and your participants throughout the entire workshop.
We place particular emphasis not only on professional diversity, but also on the personal diversity of the participants. Participants with different perspectives are especially welcome. We are happy to support you in this regard, for example by providing childcare or allowing you to bring an accompanying person.
How to apply for funding
We look forward to receiving your application by April 20, 2026 (11:59 p.m. CET) via our funding plattform. Our evaluation focuses on the professional potential of your topic, an interdisciplinary group of participants, the personal diversity of the participants, and the interactive nature of the proposed agenda.
