Chemical Industry Fund
The Fonds der Chemischen Industrie is the support organization of the Verband der Chemischen Industrie eV (VCI) based in Frankfurt am Main . This promotes the next generation of scientists in chemistry and related areas, chemistry classes in schools and the development and introduction of new teaching content in chemistry studies. The funding measures are financed from contributions from VCI member companies. The funding budget of the fund is currently around ten million euros per year.
The Fund's decision-making body is the Board of Trustees. It includes 12 research leaders from the chemical industry and 6 scientists from universities and Max Planck institutes . The Chairman of the Board of Trustees has been Thomas Wessel, a member of the Executive Board of Evonik Industries AG , since 2015 . The fund carries out a large number of complementary and coordinated funding measures. He sponsors schools with financial grants to improve experimental chemistry classes. He develops chemistry-related teaching materials that can be ordered free of charge. Via the Stipendien-Fonds foundation, it awards scholarships to candidate teachers , doctoral candidates , post-doctoral candidates and the next generation of university teachers. It supports scientific conferences in the chemical sector financially, but also organizes events itself to promote collaboration between science and industry in key areas. It promotes individual projects with model character in order to realize the research and education policy goals of the chemical industry. He also donates prizes and awards for scientists, teachers, textbook authors and students. A literature prize has been awarded since 1970 .
history
The fund was founded in 1950 as the "Aid Fund for Chemistry". The current name has been used since 1953. After its establishment, the fund initially promoted the reconstruction of basic chemical research at German universities. In 1965 the Stipendien-Fonds foundation was established to award scholarships to young academics. To date, the fund has comprehensively expanded its tasks and funding offers. Today the focus of support is on the next generation of scientists and on teaching at school.