Departmental research
Departmental research refers to research and development (R&D) activities carried out by the Federal Government and the Länder to prepare, support or implement policy decisions and that are inseparably linked to the performance of public tasks. At the federal level, departmental research is conducted by federal institutions with R&D responsibilities, through continuous cooperation with selected R&D institutions, and by commissioning R&D projects to research-performing individuals and institutions (extramural research). Responsibility for departmental research and for determining departmental R&D needs lies with the individual federal ministries in accordance with the departmental principle.
