The Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (German: Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren) is the largest scientific organisation in Germany. It is a union of 18 scientific-technical and biological-medical research centers. In 2013 the number of staff has risen up to 37,939, of which 14,734 are scientists.
The mission of the Helmholtz Association is to perform interdisciplinary research which contributes to solving the great challenges facing society, science and industry. The work of the Helmholtz Association aims to secure a long-term and sustainable future and to create the technological basis for competitive industry. The scientists involved focus on highly complex systems – such as when it comes to ensuring mobility, securing energy supply, preserving the environment for future generations, or finding treatments for previously incurable diseases. The Helmholtz Centres enjoy a large measure of scientific autonomy in fulfilling their tasks.
Research Fields and Work
To succeed in meeting these responsibilities, the Helmholtz Association concentrates its work in six research fields:
Energy: Global bottlenecks are predictable - in the reliable supply of energy and the safe disposal and treatment of wastes, residues and emissions. Helmholtz energy researchers are looking for solutions to meet the needs of present and future generations.
Earth and Environment: Their goal is to understand the System Earth to ensure that their home planet remains ecologically stable and the climate equilibrium is not knocked out of balance. Helmholtz researchers search for sustainable solutions for the co-existence of industrial society and the natural environment.
Health: Health Research in the Helmholtz Association aims to unravel the complex causes of major chronic diseases and develop novel strategies for prevention, early diagnostics and effective therapies for the benefit of patients.
Aeronautics, Space and Transport: This research field produces concepts and solutions for areas such as securing mobility in tomorrow's world, developing sustainable environmental management and discovering outer space.
Key Technologies: Scientists in the Helmholtz Association's research field Key Technologies work on topics including new components for tomorrow's computers, energy-saving supercomputers, and custom-made materials for use in technology and medicine.
Structure of Matter: Understanding the world in its smallest and largest dimensions. This is where you can find information on how scientists at Helmholtz research the underlying elements and fundamental forces of the universe.
Scientists develop Research Programmes for each of these fields. International experts review these programmes. Their evaluation forms the basis for the programme-oriented funding given to Helmholtz research. Within the six research fields, Helmholtz scientists cooperate with each other and with external partners - working across disciplinary, organizational and national borders. Indeed, the name Helmholtz stands for concerted research in which networks form the key principle behind inquiring thought and action. Thus natural scientists, physicians, biologists, but also researchers from the humanities and social scientists work together, for instance to make crucial progress is the environmental research that will secure the basis for human life in the long term.
Helmholtz transfers scientific knowledge into innovation and on into the market and so contributes to creating the technological basis for a competitive society.
Funding and Costs
The total Helmholtz Association budget in 2015 amounts to €3.99 billion. A good two thirds of this funding comes from public sponsors (in a 9:1 split between Federal and state authorities). The individual Helmholtz Centres are responsible for attracting more than 30% themselves in the form of contract funding provided by public and private sector sponsors.
