GERMANY
Institution:
International Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
c/o German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Heinrich-Konen-Str. 1
53227 Bonn, Germany
Tel: +49(0)228-3821-437
Fax: +49(0)228-3821-444
http://www.internationales-buero.de/
Contact person:
Mr. Christoph Elineau
Scientific Officer
Tel: +49(0)228-3821-437
Fax: +49(0)228-3821-444
e-mail: christoph.elineau@dlr.de
Description of the institution
The International Bureau (IB) has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to strengthen the international ties of German universities, research institutes and enterprises with the ultimate goal of building competencies and fostering competitive advantages for industry and the research community in Germany in the areas of research and innovation. In doing so, the International Bureau is making an important contribution to cultivating an international dimension within the research programmes of the BMBF.
IB is responsible for project management issues on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It is financing mobility of researchers for international collaboration on behalf of BMBF.
General Science and Technology policy issues
The main actors in the development of the Science and Technology policy in Germany are the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), to some extent the German Research Council (Wissenschaftsrat) and the German Research Foundation (the central, self-governing research funding organisation).
The main actors in carrying out research and development activity are the universities (which are under responsibilities of the Länder) and four research organisations, each comprising several research institutions. These four organisations are: the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (MPG), the Helmholtz Gesellschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren (HGF), the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (FhG), and the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (WGL).
The main actors in financing research and development activity are the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), other Ministries (like the Ministry for Economy, the Ministry for Environment, the Minsitry for Economic Cooperation), and the German Research Foundation (the central, self-governing research funding organisation). 67 % of R&D is funded by the industry. The 33% public share is divided between the Federal Government (BMBF) by funding research organisations and research programmes, the Länder by funding the Universities and the EU.
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has the right to sign intergovernmental co-operation agreements, but it must act in accordance with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.