Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

The mission of the UFZ

As an international competence centre for the environmental sciences, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) investigates the complex interactions between mankind and nature under the influence of global change. In close cooperation with decision-makers and stakeholders, scientists at the UFZ develop system solutions to improve the management of complex environmental systems and to tackle environmental issues.

For example, we work on the management of water resources, the impacts of land use change on human landscapes and biodiversity, the impacts of chemicals in the environment and on human health as well as adaptation strategies for climate change.

Successful solutions require a solid scientific basis. But this is not sufficient. Environmental research, which is usually dominated by the natural sciences,
has to become increasingly linked to the human, social and legal sciences.

This is the challenge that we – the 1.100 people working at the UFZ – face.

It is our mission to suggest ways that ensure a balance between economic and societal development on the one hand and the long-term protection of our natural resource base on the other.

The UFZ´s research structure

Research at the UFZ is organized into 34 methodical competence centres, the so-called departments. The large number of departments underlines the large range of competences and approaches at the UFZ. The departments are organized into seven divisions, namely:

1. Environmental Systems, Computation and Monitoring
2. Water and Soil Sciences
3. Terrestrial Ecology
4. Environmental Technology
5. Environmental Health
6. Health Research
7. Social Sciences

In terms of its fields of research the UFZ focuses on three core subject areas as well as three cross-sectional competence areas (see diagram). These are assigned to the Helmholtz Research Fields of Earth and Environment (Research programme „Terrestrial Environment“ / accounting for 85 percent of UFZ resources), Health (Research Programme “Environmental Health“ / 8 percent) as well as Energy (Research Programmes „Renewable Energies“ and „Technology, Innovation and Society“ / 7 percent).