German universities announce 2026 education awards and pedagogy Olympiad

The University of Freiburg will award two Future Instructional Development Awards (F‑IDA) for AI‑driven teaching and curriculum projects. Each award can fund up to €50,000 for a maximum of 18 months, with applications due by 31 May 2026.

On 20 February 2026, the University of Bielefeld will host its third Pädagogik‑Olympiade, expecting around 1,100 secondary‑school students and 120 competition entries. The event, themed “How do we want to learn?”, will feature discussions on learning in crisis contexts, with contributions from scholars such as Klaus Hurrelmann and Wilhelm Heitmeyer, and will culminate in awards for outstanding student projects.