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The Leibniz Association is the umbrella organisation for 86 research institutions which address scientific issues of importance to society as a whole. The Leibniz Institutes conduct research and provide infrastructure for science and research and perform research-based services – liaison, consultation, transfer – for the public, policy-makers, academia and business. The Berlin Museum for Natural History (Museum für Naturkunde), one of the ten largest scientific collections in the world, is a prominent example of a Leibniz Association member.

The Leibniz Association makes direct reference to its eponym, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646–1716), who was the epitome of a great universal scholar.

Facts and Figures

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86 institutes;
conducting research or providing scientific infrastructure

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8,200 scientists,
17,300 staff in total (2012)

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annual budget:
approx. 1.5 billion euros (2011)

Organisational Details

The Leibniz Association is known for its enormous diversity of themes addressed by the institutes. With the majority of institutes being scientifically and organisationally independent, the Leibniz Association provides a decentralised organisational structure. The 86 Leibniz Institutes employ more than 17,300 people and dispose of an annual budget of 1.5 billion euros.

Research Activities

The research centres focus on the humanities and social sciences, economics, spatial and life sciences, mathematics, natural sciences, engineering and environmental research.

International Cooperation

Most international cooperative projects at the Leibniz Association are coordinated by its institutes. The headquarters send delegates to various committees who represent the association in their relations with authorities and the international scientific community. The headquarters are particularly involved in committees convened by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) regarding “Scientific and Technical Cooperation” (WTZ) and “International Marketing for Higher Education in Germany”.

Research Budget

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The budget totals approx. 1.5 billion euros. Its funding is shared equally between the Federal Government and the states (Länder).  Received third-party funding amounts to 24% of the total budget.