About the Alliance
The Alliance of Science Organisations is an association of the most important science and research organisations in Germany. It regularly issues statements on issues of science policy, research funding and the structural development of the German science system.
What is the Alliance of Science Organisations in Germany?
The organisations belonging to the Alliance each have differing roles in the science system, making it an important platform for dialogue between the organisations. It also issues joint statements in cases where science as a whole is affected and where it is necessary to speak with one voice on issues of science policy.
The Alliance takes different forms of action for this purpose. These mainly include statements and press releases as well as open letters to federal politicians.
Furthermore, the Alliance finances jointly supported initiatives, such as the initiative “Understanding Animal Experimentation”. In addition, the Alliance regularly sets up working groups that deal in depth with issues and challenges of the science system, covering topics such as publishing, science communication and research infrastructures.
Origin and development of the Alliance of Science Organisations
The origins of the Alliance date back to the 1950s, when the German Research Foundation, the then West German Rectors’ Conference (now the German Rectors’ Conference) and the Max Planck Society held talks at irregular intervals on current science policy issues. At the beginning of 1962, the group was expanded to include the German Council of Science and Humanities. In the second half of the decade, the organisation became officially established as an Alliance. In the course of the 1980s, the Alliance was expanded to include the Association of Major Research Institutions (now the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres) and the Fraunhofer Society. The Leibniz Association was included in 1998, followed by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the German Academic Exchange Service in 2007. The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina became the youngest member of the Alliance in 2008 after it was declared the National Academy of Sciences. These ten organisations still constitute the members of the Alliance today.
The organisational spokesperson role changes to a different member organisation each year. The DFG has taken on the role of spokesperson for the year 2022.
For further information on the historical development and role of the Alliance of Science Organisations in the German science landscape and science policy, see the research project „Die Allianz der Wissenschaftsorganisationen: Korporatismus in der bundesdeutschen Forschung zwischen Kooperation und Konkurrenz“.