Research institute

A research institution, a research institute, a research center or a research institution is a social unit that performs research projects or research programs, for which a certain amount of resources ( money, personnel, information, research tools ) are available. The term itself is unprotected by law.

Research institutes are usually supported by scientific academies, universities or other scientific associations. There are also institutions that are supported by foundations, associations and companies. If the device is not independent, it is often the " research department " of a company.

Germany

Among the most important public research institutions in Germany include not only a variety of special institutes of the faculties at universities, non-university institutes of the Fraunhofer -Gesellschaft, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the Leibniz Association, the Institute of the Max Planck Society and the Federal institutions with research tasks ( the so-called departmental research ). A number of Academy institutes and institutions administered by the states and municipalities are to be mentioned here.

Austria

In Austria, there are special forms besides some higher education institutions, among others, the research institutes of the Ludwig Boltzmann Society and the Christian Doppler laboratories. Even major museums conduct their own research departments, including some natural history museums or the Museum of Military History ( Military History Institute ) in Vienna. Other relevant institutions are, for example, the AGEO ( Geo ), the Austrian Space Agency (ASA ), some areas of the WIFI and the Institute for Empirical Social Research ( IFES ) and the Cancer Research Center. In general, non-university research institutes in Austria, however, play a lesser role than in Germany.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the Research Institute for Empirical Economics, for natural and engineering sciences, for Leisure and Tourism ( FIF) and for high mountain climate and medicine, for example, be mentioned. In contrast, the Swiss pharma contract an example of industry - sponsored research centers dar.

Internationally

At the international level, there are several government -supported institutions such as the European Space Agency ( ESA), the nuclear research center CERN, EMBL, who in addition to technical developments a strong research focus.