The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research belongs to the Helmholtz Association. The Helmholtz Association contributes to solving challenges facing society, science and the economy with top scientific achievements in six research areas: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Key Technologies, Structure of Matter, Transport and Space. Its work follows in the tradition of the great natural scientist Herman Research at the UFZ is organized into 38 methodical competence centres, the so-called departments. The large number of departments underlines the large range of approaches at the UFZ. The UFZ is funded by the Federal Government of Germany and by the German States Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.The departments are organized into seven divisions, namely:
In terms of its fields of research the UFZ focuses on three core subject areas as well as three cross-sectional competence areas. These are assigned to the Helmholtz Research Fields of Earth and Environment, Health as well as Energy The research is organised in three core subject areas and three cross-sectional competences:
Core Subject Areas