German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung), abbreviated BMBF, is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is headquartered in Bonn, with an office in Berlin. The Ministry provides funding for research projects and institutions, regulates nuclear energy, and sets general educational policy. It also provides student loans in Germany. However, a large part of educational policy in Germany is decided at the state level, strongly limiting the influence of the ministry in educational matters.

The BMBF currently has eight departments (as of February 2009). These are in addition to the central department that is responsible for administrative tasks:

• Office 1: Strategies and Policy Issues
• Office 2: European and international cooperation in education and research
• Office 3: Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning
• Office 4: Science
• Office 5: Key Technologies - Research for Innovation
• Office 6: Life Sciences - Research for Health
• Office 7: Provision for the Future - Research on Culture, Basic Science and Sustainability