Bodies of the Leibniz Association
The General Assembly decides on matters of fundamental – especially strategic – importance to the Leibniz Association. It generally meets once a year – at the annual meeting in November – and is attended by the academic and administrative heads of the member institutions as laid down in the statutes.
Matters of fundamental importance – such as the election of the President and Vice Presidents, admitting new member institutions to the Leibniz Association, resolutions on budget and financial matters and on overarching recommendations – are discussed and agreed at the General Assembly.
The General Assembly is chaired by the President.
The President represents the Leibniz Association internally and externally and draws up the main points of its research policy. S/he represents the joint interests of the member institutions in dealings with the central and federal state governments, other research organisations and the public.
S/he is involved in national and international research policy committees and organisations, and chairs the General Assembly, the Board, the Executive Board and meetings of the Senate.
The President is elected by the General Assembly for four years and may be re-elected.
Prof. Martina Brockmeier has been President of the Leibniz Association since July 2022.
Website Of Martina Brockmeier
The Board of the Leibniz Association consists of the President and at least four Vice Presidents and is responsible for managing the Association and for carrying out resolutions passed by its official bodies. It is responsible for implementing generally binding rules produced by the committees, such as rules and principles of procedure and electoral regulations. The Board appoints the Secretary General, who heads the Leibniz Headquarters, on the recommendation of the President and with the approval of the Executive Board.
Members of the Board
President
Prof. Martina Brockmeier
Leibniz Association
T +49 30 206049 400
brockmeier(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Prof. Matthias Beller
Leibniz Institute for Catalysis e. V. at the University of Rostock (LIKAT)
T +49 38 11281 113
matthias.beller(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Prof. Sebastian Lentz
Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL), Leipzig
T +49 34 160055 107
sebastian.lentz(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Dr Martin Mittelbach
Senckenberg Society for Nature Research - Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN), Frankfurt am Main
T +49 69 7542 0
martin.mittelbach(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Prof. Barbara Sturm
Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam
T +49 03 315699 100
barbara.sturm(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deThe eleven-member Executive Board of the Leibniz Association is composed of the President, the Vice Presidents and spokespersons of the five Sections and of the Administrative Committee. The Secretary General participates in Executive Board meetings in an advisory capacity.
The Executive Board advises the Board on all fundamental matters pertaining to the Leibniz Association and takes funding decisions relating to the Strategy Fund.
Members of the Executive Board
President
Prof. Martina Brockmeier
Leibniz Association
T +49 30 206049 400
brockmeier(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Prof. Matthias Beller
Leibniz Institute for Catalysis e. V. at the University of Rostock (LIKAT)
T +49 38 11281 113
matthias.beller(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Prof. Sebastian Lentz
Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL), Leipzig
T +49 34 160055 107
sebastian.lentz(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Dr Martin Mittelbach
Senckenberg Society for Nature Research - Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN), Frankfurt am Main
T +49 69 7542 0
martin.mittelbach(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deVice President
Prof. Barbara Sturm
Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Potsdam
T +49 03 315699 100
barbara.sturm(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deSpokesperson Section A
Prof. Henning Lobin
Leibniz Institute for the German Language (IDS), Mannheim
T +49 62 11581 126
lobin(at)ids-mannheim.deSpokesperson Section B
Prof. Christof Wolf
GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Mannheim and Cologne
T +49 621 1246 149
christofwolf(at)gesis.orgSpokesperson Section C
Prof. Jörg Overmann
Leibniz-Institute DSMZ–German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig
T +49 53 12616 352
joerg.overmann(at)dsmz.deSpokesperson Section D
Prof. Albert Sickmann
Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften – ISAS – e.V., Dortmund und Berlin
T +49 23 11392 100
albert.sickmann(at)isas.deSpokesperson Section E
Prof. Frank Ewert
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg
T +49 33 43282 200
wiss.direktor(at)zalf.deSpokesperson Adminstrative Committee
Dr Birgit Schröder-Smeibidl
German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE)
T +49 33 200882 221
admin.vorstand(at)dife.deSecretary General of the Leibniz Association
Dr. Bettina Böhm
T +49 30 20604 951
b.boehm(at)leibniz-gemeinschaft.deThe Senate supports and advises the Leibniz Association on research policy matters. It issues recommendations on both the strategic development of the Association and its member institutions and on increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of research and services.
The Senate develops criteria and procedures to safeguard and enhance the quality and performance of Leibniz Institutes.
In the context of the evaluation procedure, the Senate issues funding recommendations to the Joint Science Conference (GWK). To prepare its statements, the Senate set up the Evaluation Committee.
The Senate makes Leibniz Competition funding decisions. The Senate Competition Committee prepares these decisions.
The Senate also decides whether to approve projects for strategic networking grants and issues research policy statements on new members and major strategic expansions of Leibniz institutions. It is supported in these areas by the Senate Strategic Projects Committee.
The Senate is composed of the national and federal state government ministers responsible for joint research funding, the presidents and directors of German research organisations and additional optional members. The Senate generally meets three times a year in Berlin. The meetings are chaired by the President of the Leibniz Association.
The Senate established the Senate Evaluation Committee (SAE) in accordance with its statutes. It is composed of external members and is tasked with evaluating the institutions in the Leibniz Association at regular intervals and advising the Senate on all matters relating to the evaluation. SAE prepares resolutions and statements for the Senate on the basis of which the Federation and Länder review their joint funding.
SAE comprises academics who do not work at Leibniz institutions as well as members of the Senate and representatives of the central and federal state governments.
The Senate established the Senate Competition Committee (SAW) in accordance with its statutes. The SAW evaluates the applications submitted by Leibniz institutions according to criteria of scientific excellence. Applications are evaluated by at least two independent peer reviewers, whose assessments form the basis for the committee's selection of the best applications which it then recommends for funding to the Leibniz Association's Senate.
The Senate Competition Committee is composed of external experts; members of the Leibniz Senate; representatives of the German Research Foundation (DFG), the GWK Office and the German Council of Science and Humanities, as well as the federal and state governments; and representatives of the Leibniz Association's five sections.
Rules of Procedure of the SAW (PDF)
The Senate established the Senate Strategic Committee (SAS) in accordance with its statutes.In The SAS prepares the Senate’s statements on the admission of institutes to the Leibniz Association and on large-scale strategic expansions of Leibniz Institutes. It adopts statements on small-scale strategic expansions of Leibniz Institutes and prepares the Senate’s recommendations on overarching issues relevant to several institutes. Further, the SAS prepares the Senate’s decisions in the funding line strategic networks (Leibniz Research Alliances and Leibniz ScienceCampi).
The Senate Strategic Committee is composed of up to twelve external researchers appointed by the Senate as well as representatives of the Leibniz Association, the federal level, and the federal states. The secretary general of the Joint Science Conference (GWK) participates as a guest.
JAN KONITZKI