Research into Islamist radicalisation provides a vital foundation for combating Islamism, for evidence-based policy advice and for improving prevention work. The BMFTR is therefore funding research into Islamism with up to 30 million euros between 2020 and 2030.
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Since late autumn 2020, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) has been funding 12 research projects and the RADIS transfer project; and, from autumn 2026 onwards, the BMFTR is expected to fund further research projects investigating the social causes and effects of Islamism in Germany and Europe. The findings to date and new projects are intended to support research into Islamist radicalisation, as well as policy and prevention practices, in order to help combat Islamism sustainably. Beyond these two funding streams, the collaborative project Dis_Ident is investigating radicalisation processes linked to Israel-related anti-Semitism and Islamist thought patterns among young people.
The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) funds research into radical Islamism to generate knowledge and to support and strengthen policy and practice in dealing with counter-strategies to radicalisation tendencies.
The research projects are linked internally and externally through the transfer project “Social Causes and Effects of Radical Islam in Germany and Europe” (RADIS). Key scientific findings from the projects are combined with measures for society- and practice-oriented transfer of results and knowledge, and are shared with relevant stakeholders from academia, prevention, civil society, politics and the general public.
Islamism – like other forms of extremism – has become part of the social reality in Germany and many European countries, with far-reaching consequences. Radical Islamism is directed against peaceful, secure coexistence, social cohesion and our free, liberal democracy. This makes it all the more important to understand the diverse facets of the causes, mechanisms, manifestations and effects of extremist ideologies and to develop effective counterstrategies and measures. For it is only with this sound knowledge and sustainable tools that we can succeed in identifying social risk factors and strengthening democratic values.
The BMFTR has therefore been funding research on the topic of Islamism since 2020. As part of an initial funding phase (2020–2025), the BMFTR has allocated 15 million euros to 12 research projects and the knowledge transfer initiative ‘Social Causes and Effects of Radical Islam in Germany and Europe’ (RADIS). This commitment will continue from autumn 2026 under the funding guideline “Islamism: Effects, Counterstrategies and Preventive Measures” (2026–2030), for which the BMFTR is again providing up to 15 million euros.
The research projects have been and will continue to be linked internally and externally through the transfer project “Social Causes and Effects of Radical Islam in Germany and Europe” (RADIS). Key scientific findings from the projects are combined with measures for the transfer of results and knowledge, and shared with relevant stakeholders from academia, prevention, civil society, politics and the general public.
The research projects funded to date have investigated whether and to what extent the influence of Islamist actors affects social life, feelings of insecurity and (perceived) threats; what different strands of Islamism exist; and how society as a whole, or sections of society, deal with them. The research also examined various possible causes of Islamist radicalisation at the individual, institutional and societal levels. Based on the findings, policymakers and prevention practitioners are supported in combating Islamism in a sustainable manner.
The project results are available in the RADIS anthology “Islamism as a Social Challenge” as an eBook and softcover, and a summary is available in Arabic, German, English, French and Turkish on the RADIS website.
The research projects funded to date have investigated whether and to what extent the influence of Islamist actors affects social life, feelings of insecurity and (perceived) threats; what different strands of Islamism exist; and how society as a whole, or sections of society, deal with them. The research also examined various possible causes of Islamist radicalisation at the individual, institutional and societal levels.
The findings of the projects funded to date were presented at the RADIS Transfer and Closing Conference on 8 April 2025 in Berlin, which was attended by more than 100 researchers as well as representatives from the fields of prevention, politics, administration, the media and civil society. Findings and recommendations from over four years of research were discussed and compared with current challenges. Key starting points for future research and prevention work, as well as for policy and society, were also highlighted at the conference. The RADIS conference attracted significant public attention.
The findings made it clear that cooperation between state and civil society actors must be strengthened in order to ensure long-term, broad-based, sustainable and transfer-oriented research, as well as effective prevention work. Educational professionals should be trained and educated. Muslim communities should respond to Islamist attacks in an active and socially and politically constructive manner, according to the researchers. Spirals of radicalisation and co-radicalisation must be prevented by supporting, further developing and implementing long-term measures to promote democracy, strengthen social participation and diversity, and combat racism. The highly dynamic Islamist messages targeting increasingly younger adolescents on social media (Instagram, TikTok, etc.) and online platforms (YouTube) should also be combated effectively, both immediately and in the long term, to prevent further polarisation and division.
The project results are available in the RADIS anthology “Islamism as a Social Challenge” as an eBook and softcover, and a summary version of “Islamism as a Social Challenge” is available in Arabic, German, English, French and Turkish on the RADIS website.
Given the ongoing challenges that Islamism poses to Western societies and their liberal democratic systems, the BMFTR is continuing its commitment to the fight against Islamism: In order to provide research-based answers to the current, pressing questions in this field and to decisively counter the Islamist radicalisation of increasingly younger people, the BMFTR is making further funding available for research into Islamism under the funding guidelines “Islamism: Impacts, Counterstrategies and Preventive Measures”. Following a science-led selection process, the new projects are expected to start in spring or autumn 2026.
In addition to the projects under the funding guidelines for research on Islamism, the BMFTR is funding the collaborative project “Dis_Ident” following a decision by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag. This project aims to develop and test an education and prevention strategy against Israel-related anti-Semitism and Islamist thought patterns among young people. Using analogue and digital concepts and methods based on the MIND Prevention Method, the aim is to effectively counter deep-rooted prejudices among young people of different age groups and from various types of schools. Cognitive and emotional processes, as well as preventive counter-strategies and psychological interventions, are being researched and tested; the aim is to counter deep-rooted prejudices. Concepts and methods from computational science and AI are being linked with questions and methods from radicalisation research, and digital prevention approaches are being developed and tested.
The consortium is coordinated by the Mansour Initiative for Democracy Promotion and Extremism Prevention (MIND) gGmbH, Berlin. The six sub-projects are based at the following universities: Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Chair of Social Psychology and Institute for Communication Studies and Media Research; University of Cologne, Chair of Political Science, Education Policy and Political Education; University of Heidelberg, Institute for Psychosocial Prevention; Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Psychological Diagnostics, Methodology and Legal Psychology.
