Structure and Governance

The Helmholtz Association consists of 18 legally independent research centers. With around 46,000 employees and an annual budget of 6 billion euros, Helmholtz is Germany's largest scientific organization.

Statutes and Governance

The Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft is a registered association. Its members are 18 Research Centers, which are legally independent bodies. The activities of the Helmholtz Association are governed by its statutes.

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Initiating and Networking

The basic funding of the Helmholtz Association's research programs is based on a long-term competitive process. In order to also be able to finance new research topics, cross-sectional activities and community-wide initiatives, there is a further central financing element in the form of the Initiative and Networking Fund

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Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation

Germany's federal and state governments launched the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation to guide the future direction of research. An annual 3% increase in funding serves to ensure the effectiveness of Germany's research and opens up the freedom needed to foster scientific development.

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Program-Oriented Funding

The Helmholtz Association does not invest its resources in individual institutions, but in cross-center research programs that compete with one another for funding.

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Portfolio Process

The Helmholtz Association’s mission is to respond to the grand challenges faced by society, science and industry. To successfully fulfil this mission in the long term, it continually and strategically plans ahead, steadfastly directing its research activities towards the issues that will play a decisive role in determining our future.

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Helmholtz-Institutes

Helmholtz institutes provide the strategic partnerships between the Helmholtz centers and universities with a special intensity.

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