In 2023, the Josef Wund Foundation expanded its commitment to supporting young people with a focus on its guiding theme: water. For an initial period of three years, the Foundation is partnering with the German youth science competition Jugend forscht and annually awards the special prize "The Power of Water" at the state-level "Jugend forscht" or "Schüler experimentieren" competitions. Prize winners can subsequently apply for the "JWS Water Expert Scholarship" if they pursue a degree program with a focus on water-related topics.

With the special prize "The Power of Water", the Josef Wund Foundation is expanding its commitment to supporting young people in direct connection with the Foundation’s core theme: water. "Through this new partnership, the Josef Wund Foundation is closing an important gap in the educational journey of young people," says Christoph Palm, Managing Director of the Josef Wund Foundation. From promoting STEM education for preschool children through the "Stiftung Kinder forschen" initiative, to the Foundation’s own WUNDINE Swimming Academy and the Talent im Land scholarship program, the Foundation supports children and young people throughout their educational development. "In the spirit of our founder, we become active wherever dedication and innovative ideas help shape the future."

As part of this partnership, the Josef Wund Foundation has been awarding the special prize "The Power of Water" since 2023 to outstanding project ideas addressing research questions in the fields of "Water as a Source of Life", "Water as a Source of Energy", "Water as a Health Factor", and "Water as a Natural Hazard". The prize is endowed with €250 in the Jugend forscht competition and €150 in the Schüler experimentieren competition.

Further information about the special prize "The Power of Water" can be found on the Jugend forscht website.

Starting in 2024, the Josef Wund Foundation will also support young people pursuing water-related degree programs through the "JWS Water Expert Scholarship". The scholarship is exclusively available to students who have previously received the Josef Wund Foundation’s special prize "The Power of Water" in the Jugend forscht or Schüler experimentieren competitions organized by the Jugend forscht Foundation. The scholarship provides financial support of €200 per month.

The scholarship is available to students who:

- are enrolled in a degree program with a focus on water,
- are pursuing a specialization within another degree program where water is the primary subject area, or
- are writing a Bachelor's thesis, Master's thesis, or a comparable final thesis on a water-related topic.

In addition, grants may be awarded to help cover expenses incurred through activities such as workshops, field trips, or study-abroad programs.

Applications and inquiries can be submitted by email to the Josef Wund Foundation. Further details are provided in the Scholarship Guidelines.