About us.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation is an independent, non-profit foundation. We promote excellent basic research in medicine, biology, chemistry, and pharmacy for important, sometimes ground-breaking, new insights that lastingly ensure our health and quality of life.

Through our various activities, funding programmes, and scientific awards, we strive to create the freedom and thus excellent research conditions enabling outstanding results in basic research.

Hubertus Liebrecht (1931–1991), a member of the family of shareholders of the Boehringer Ingelheim company, established the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation in 1977 as a non-profit foundation, valid under civil law, and recognized by the German government’s supervisory authority for foundations (Stiftungsaufsicht), to which it reports each year. As with any such organisation, and in accordance with the law, the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation was legally and organisationally separated from its donor upon its founding, and established as an independent organisation with its own decision-making bodies.

In his will, Hubertus Liebrecht bequeathed part of his estate to the foundation. The proceeds of the endowment enable the foundation to fulfil its statutory purpose: "...to support medical, biological, chemical, and pharmaceutical science" and to cover the costs for its administration. The foundation is headquartered in Mainz, Germany. In 2023 alone, the foundation spent some 19.1 million euros to fulfil its statuatory purpose. 

Our objectives and guiding principles.

Stimulating pathbreaking basic science.

Creating freedom and excellent conditions for outstanding scientists.

Honouring exceptional scientific achievements.

Supporting research in a sustainable and flexible manner, and in accordance with the criteria of scientific excellence.