Our Research Centers

Scientists at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) are researching the poles, seas and climate. They aim to unravel the changes taking place in the global environment and System Earth which are partly natural and partly caused by human action.

DESY is one of the world’s leading accelerator centres. DESY develops, builds and operates large accelerator facilities, which are used to investigate the structure of matter. The combination of photon science and particle physics at DESY is unique in Europe.

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in Heidelberg is working to identify and understand the causes of cancer diseases and to improve treatments and therapies.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) headquartered in Cologne is Germany's national centre for research and technology development in aeronautics and aerospace. In addition DLR holds a leading position in the selected research fields of energy and transportation.

The German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) examines the causes of diseases of the nervous system and develops respective measures for prevention, therapy and care.

Forschungszentrum Jülich works on key technologies for the grand challenges facing society in the fields of information and the brain as well as energy and environment.

The centres’ mandate is the interdisciplinary investigation of all relevant aspects of modern marine sciences, from sea floor geology to marine meteorology.

The GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt uses a modern accelerator facility to do basic research in physics and also carries out biophysical and radiation medicine research.

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has two main focuses: Research on materials that are related to energy conversion in the broadest sense and the development of accelerator concepts and instruments for research with light.

How can energy and resources be used efficiently, safely and sustainably? How can we better visualize, characterize and effectively treat cancer? And how do matter and materials behave under the influence of high fields and in the smallest dimensions? These are precisely the kinds of questions that drive the scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR).

The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig researches infectious disease as well as their prevention and treatment.

The CISPA - Helmholtz Center for Information Security covers all aspects of information security. The Center aims to address the pressing grand cybersecurity research challenges that our society faces in the age of digitalization in a holistic and comprehensive manner and covers the full spectrum from theory to empirical research.

The UFZ is one of the world’s leading research centres in the field of environmental research, enjoying high social recognition. It demonstrates ways in which a sustainable use of our natural resource base is possible for the benefit of both humankind and the environment.

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon conducts international cutting-edge research for a changing world: approximately 1,100 employees generate knowledge and innovation toward more resilience and sustainability. The scientific spectrum encompasses high-performance materials, processes and environmentally friendly technologies for mobility and new energy systems. Furthermore, research is conducted on biomaterials in medicine and for increasing quality of life. Through research and consulting, the Hereon addresses the challenges of climate change in a solution-oriented manner and facilitates sustainable management as well as the protection of the coasts and marine environment through comprehensive scientific understanding.

The Helmholtz-Center München in Neuherberg studies the complex systems of life at the interface between environmental impact and genetic predisposition.

Helmholtz Centre Potsdam combines all solid earth science fields including geodesy, geology, geophysics, mineralogy and geochemistry, in a multidisciplinary research centre.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. From fundamental research through to application, it excels in a broad range of disciplines, i.e. in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. It makes significant contributions to the global challenges of mankind in the fields of energy, mobility, and information.

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association combines microbiological basic research with clinical research in order to develop new diagnosis and treatment methods for serious diseases.