Bayer : New scholarships worth EUR 345,000 awarded by Bayer Foundation to promote international talents

Leverkusen, September 23, 2016- The Bayer Science & Education Foundation is making available approximately EUR 345,000 for 64 talented young people who wish to realize international study and vocational training projects. The new scholarship recipients are students of the natural sciences, agriculture and medicine, as well those training to become science teachers or young people from skilled non-academic professions. 'We need dedicated and creative young scientists if we are to successfully shape the future. That's why with the Bayer Fellowship Program we are helping talented young people to participate in special study and continuing education projects abroad,' says Kemal Malik, Bayer Management Board member responsible for Innovation.

The scholarship program follows the tradition of the Bayer scholarships initiated back in 1923 by Dr. Carl Duisberg, at that time Managing Director of the Bayer Group. Duisberg is regarded as a pioneer in the intensive cooperation between industry and universities, as well as in corporate social responsibility. Explains Dr. Carl-Heinz Duisberg, member of the Scientific Committee of the Bayer Fellowship Program and youngest grandchild of the program's founder: 'My grandfather wanted to provide good training opportunities for young people because he saw this as a means of ensuring long-term benefits for society. He is also quoted as saying 'We must spend every spare penny on science - it is the best investment we can make.''

All scholarships underline the mission of the Bayer foundation to work with young people and the next generation of scientists and opinion-leaders and to strengthen interest in the major challenges facing our society, such as health and agriculture.

Alongside the Otto Bayer, Jozef Schell and Carl Duisberg scholarships, the Bayer Fellowship Program also includes the Kurt Hansen and Hermann Strenger scholarships. For the second time, the Bayer Science & Education Foundation offers an additional special budget for 'Talents for Africa'. The scholarships are targeted at students and vocational trainees in natural science and medical disciplines who would like to realize a particular foreign study project and require financial support for this. In addition to Germany-based applicants who would like to study abroad, the foundation supports scholarship recipients from outside of Germany who wish to realize a comparable project in Germany.

Academic disciplines receiving support this year include the life sciences, chemistry, agriculture as well as human and veterinary medicine, with a total of 44 scholarships being awarded. Two Kurt Hansen scholarship recipients are also receiving assistance for teacher training in the natural sciences.

The scholarships in the academic sector are being supplemented by Hermann Strenger scholarships to support young people looking to gain initial work experience abroad as part of a non-academic training program. This year, 12 young people from Germany are being supported who are planning a period abroad as part of their commercial, technical or health profession training.

Thanks to the Bayer scholarships, 41 new fellows from Germany will start their projects in Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Iran, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Another 23 new scholarship winners will be able to implement their individual projects in Germany, coming from: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Denmark, Greece, India, Kenya, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Croatia, Mexico, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Spain, Uruguay and the United States.

The Bayer Science & Education Foundation thus is launching the tenths round of its funding program, which offers targeted support for scientific exchange and international work experience for young people. It targets creative, highly motivated and socially committed young people with above-average grades.

The next round of applications starts in June 2017.

More information is available on the Internet atwww.bayer-foundations.com.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2015, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of EUR 46.3 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.3 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go towww.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website atwww.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.