Organizational Structure of the MPIfG

Management

The MPIfG is managed by two directors. The role of managing director alternates between the directors every two years, but both share responsibility for all decisions regarding the Institute's research.

Max Planck institutes are, within the guidelines of the Max Planck Society, independent and autonomous in the choice and pursuit of their research interests.

The Scientific Advisory Board of the MPIfG, an independent body of international scholars, evaluates the Institute’s research and results every three years and advises the directors on development of the research program. The MPIfG Board of Trustees, with representatives from business, government, and the media, convenes annually to promote contact between the Institute and the public. At the Institute Assembly, which is held twice a year and open to all members of the MPIfG, the directors and research staff review the Institute's research goals.

Research

Research at the MPIfG is organized around projects conducted by individual researchers or groups of researchers collaborating internationally. For the MPIfG, cooperation with scholars at universities and institutions abroad is both a desirable and effective way of organizing research. Regular meetings at workshops and conferences bring the researchers together in their teams to discuss every step of the process, from identifying a topic, researching the literature, collecting data, and conducting interviews to evaluating the material and ultimately publishing their results.

Committees

A committee structure regulates the flow of information between the service groups and the research community. It facilitates internal cooperation and optimizes communication between the Institute management, the service groups, and researchers. The committees are generally chaired by researchers and deal with the organizational concerns of the Institute.

The central committee is the Management Committee, which meets every two months. The Managing Director provides information on Institute-wide developments. The administrative management, IMPRS and research coordination, and the heads of the service groups report on important developments in their areas; the committee chairpersons supplement these reports. The other committees, which are headed by researchers, deal with publications and communication as well as professional development. In addition, the occupational safety committee meets regularly with our occupational health physician and an external occupational safety specialist in accordance with legal requirements. The works council represents the interests of employees vis-à-vis the Institute's management and is represented on the occupational safety committee.