EUR 150,000 for scholarships and education of teachers

Funding for ambitious projects in ten countries / Focus on natural sciences and medicine

Leverkusen – The Bayer Science & Education Foundation has freed up a total of EUR 150,000 to fund 23 talented and committed students in the area of natural sciences and medicine. Further the education for chemistry teachers at the University of Cologne is supported.

In a multi-stage selection process, the candidates for the scholarships could impress the panel of judges with their ambitious plans, their know-how, and their personality. “We need the brightest minds to shape our future. The promotion of excellence – both in terms of social and specialist capabilities – is key here. That’s why we set up the ‘Bayer Fellowship Program’ to support postgraduate and complementary courses both in Germany and abroad, as well as internships, dissertations and doctoral projects,” says Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG responsible for research.

Foundation Board member Dr. Carl-Heinz-Duisberg added: “We are delighted to be able to open up new opportunities for these young people.” His grandfather, Prof. Carl Duisberg, who has established Bayer’s first foundation program in 1923, is quoted as saying, “We must spend every spare penny on science – it is the best investment we can make.”

The “Bayer Fellowship Program” incorporates the Bayer, Kurt Hansen and Carl Duisberg scholarships. The target group includes students currently engaged in their main study period and graduates who completed their studies no more than two years ago. This year, sponsored subjects include biosciences, biotechnology, biomathematics, chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmacy, physics, and medicine. Kurt Hansen scholarships are awarded to students training to become biology and chemistry teachers.

The new Bayer Fellows will start the funded projects in the coming months in nine different countries on all continents. Three scholarship winners come from abroad (Brazil, Netherlands and the United States) and will do their research at the German elite universities of Karlsruhe and the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich as well as in Leipzig.

Furthermore, the Bayer Foundation supports the “Kölner Modell” (Cologne Model). This is an information and further education project developed by teachers for teachers at the Chemical Institutes of the University of Cologne. Since the project’s foundation in 1979, chemistry teachers have been provided with the newest developments in chemistry in the real world, technology, industry and society – which they can then pass on to their students during chemistry lessons.

The next round of applications starts in June 2009. For more information, go to www.bayer-foundations.com

Beyond that, the „Bayer Science & Education Foundation” supports 42 schools surrounding the German Bayer sites with more than Euro 500,000. These Awards go to projects that improve the scientific education at different forms of schools.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. The company’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time Bayer creates value through innovation, growth and improved earning power. The Group is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its role as a socially and ethically responsible corporate citizen. Economy, ecology and social responsibility are corporate policy objectives of equal rank. In fiscal 2007, Bayer employed 106,200 people and had sales of EUR 32.4 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 1.9 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 2.6 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.


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